The Little Hawk: Promised Day
by AvaEobane
Summary: Since TLH is such a success, I decided to edit the chapters to improve the story. Meanwhile, I am also going to split it up into multiple parts. Summary PartI : After the war, Riza was blackmailed into taking care of a baby which she named Laila. She raises her and keeps her existence a secret, even from her friends, but eventually, they get it. ROYAI, hints of EdWin and LingFan
1. Prologue

**To make it more enjoyable for everyone to read this story, I decided to edit it, starting with the first chapter ... and at the same time, I am going to break the long and epic story down into parts. The newest chapters, however, will be found in the main story which is called just The Little Hawk.**

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**The Little Hawk**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

The seventeen year old Riza Hawkeye also known as the Hawk's Eye of Ishbal stood in the middle of her comrades and cousins bedroom and watched how the very, very pregnant red-head called Kay Hawkeye Hamilton threw everything in her reach into a suitcase while she muttered incomprehensible things. "…need to leave … can't wait any longer … need to go…" she said.

Kay had also been part of the army which had fought in Ishbal where she had gotten the nickname Steel Rose for her beautiful exterior which came along with her backbone made of steel which had kept her sane for the longest part of the war.

"Kay … I don't understand…" Riza stood there like a lightening had hit her while she stared at her cousin. "Where are you going? And what about your pregnancy? Answer me!"

The slightly older woman, barely nineteen, turned around and regret was written in her face. "It was always you who yelled when something was going wrong … never Serena or Lynn, right?" she asked. "I am sorry, I am so sorry, Riza. Lynn understood before I even got to explain. And Serena … you know her. She never said anything. But … little hawk, I am following the invitation of Prince Claudio of Aerugo. I am so sorry, Rize, but after this war … after everything I went through … I guess I am just not strong enough to be the person I was meant to be." She sat down and rubbed her belly. "But it's more because of the mafia. They will track me down, honey. So … I can't take _her_ with me…"

Riza froze. "That's pretty cold, even for you," she muttered as she sat down beside her and gently laid one hand of the swollen belly. "I mean … she will need you, won't she?"

"Rize, for someone so smart, you are really sometimes really foolish. I don't leave her in the dust. I will leave her in your care. You can play mommy all the time minus the trouble with morning sickness and a stubborn husband. You get the perfect cake without fat."

"You were always the one worrying that she could loose her shape," Riza muttered, "and I never agreed that I would play mommy for your daughter, Kay."

"Rize, out of all women I know, you are the only one who could ever put up with my and Charles' temper," the pregnant woman said. "And since I am very sure that she will be even worse, you are the only person alive who can deal with her…"

"You are aware of all the trouble I will be in?" Riza sighed. Oh, she hated it but her cousin had always been the only one alive who had been able to blackmail her into a mess because Kay knew just too well that Riza had never been able to say no to her when she truly needed her help. "Just in case that you didn't notice it, Hamilton: I am neither married nor do I know where I will work next week."

"You could always leave and become a free woman," the older woman said. "But since I knew that you wouldn't do this … well … I talked with Lieutenant General Grumman who was really happy when I suggested that you could work for Mr Flame…"

The young sniper glared at her. "I am very sure that Mr Flame as you like to put it has no interest in me as his subordinate," she said annoyed. "I believe that you lost your touch…"

"Don't try me, Rize, don't try me…" Kay smirked. "Well, you will choose a name and if the little child should have inherited my hair, I will change the colour to yours to make it more believable since well … given your family line, it's not likely that your daughter would have red hair."

* * *

Riza Hawkeye had always been a smart woman and she adapted fast to her new situation. It was a strange feeling to know that she was some kind of mother. Oh, she had discussed and fought with her cousin but since Kay was older, she was even more stubborn than the blonde. And Kay's final 'perfectly fine reason' had been that Kay killed at least four hundred people more during the war than Riza since she had been a state alchemist, the Lightening Star Alchemist.

The girl, Laila, was adorable.

Riza had loved it from the very beginning. The hair had been red but it was nothing what a little transmutation couldn't fix. Riza's flat was close to the Eastern Headquarter and she was at home always at the same time. The nanny who had already taken care of Kay when the female state alchemist had been a baby was the only person who knew about the existence of Laila Hawkeye.

Riza never invited anyone over to her place, not even her best friend Rebecca, and she always went home straight after work. Sometimes, she had to stay longer to iron things out but usually she was home at seven. And when she was at home, her little girl meant the world to her – just like her old friends had meant the world to her before.

A year passed and no one noticed something strange about the newly-promoted First Lieutenant. She was a dedicated officer and since everyone knew that she had been in the war, everyone assumed that the dark shades under her eyes came from the nightmares she suffered. No one even thought about the possibility that she would have a child at home because she was not married and since she was a woman with morals, she would never get pregnant unless she was married. Hell, most people even thought that she would never allow a man to touch her before he proposed to her! (Well, about this one … let's just say: what happens on the battlefield stays on the battlefield, right, Riza, Roy?)

But of course, some co-workers weren't as stupid as they looked.

"Hawkeye is acting strange today," Jean Havoc said before he looked around in the office. "I would have guessed PMS but … hell … that was last week. And if I would have seen her with some man, I would have guessed that she was pregnant or something like that…"

"Well, she is hot enough to get any unmarried man she wants and at least half of the married," Roy muttered before he sighed. "But we really shouldn't speak of her that way. She is the sole female officer in our squad … we need to respect her. Maybe she has a hard time to deal with the war and has nightmares. It has been just one year, for crying out loud. We should give her more time to adapt with this … normal life, alright? She needs that…"

"Half the soldiers who were in the war say that you slept with her during the war," Vato Falman stated. "And seeing that she does the most work around here in the office, some people even think that you and her are married, sir. And your days off often collide…"

"For your information: my relationship with her is strictly professional," Roy said and ignored his inner Hughes who called him a liar. "And I was never at her place since she likes to keep her private life away from her job … something what I really appreciate…"

"But don't you worry about her?" Kain Fuery asked. "I mean … she always used to be strong and we had never a true reason to worry … but she is acting strange…"

"Leave her alone, men," Roy ordered. "She is not good at asking for help but usually she does before everything go down the drain. Have a little faith in her, alright?"

* * *

**Even though the chapter was merely edited, I am still interested in your opinion.**


	2. Kain Fuery

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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**Kain Fuery**

* * *

The topic was delayed for another year and Riza started to act even stranger. Sometimes, the men wondered if she was ill or something because her facial features became even sharper and she looked like she would collapse any second … and she broke. One day, in the office, the strong warrior fainted and was brought to the hospital.

"Miss Hawkeye, you have to stay here!" the doctor sighed. "Believe me, you will feel even worse if you don't stay here…"

She looked down before her hands covered her eyes. "Alright," she muttered, "please, can I just speak with Master Sergeant Fuery? Alone? I want to give him my key and some instructions…"

The others stepped out. They knew that Kain was the one who Riza trusted enough to know that he wouldn't make a mess out of her flat. Riza and Kain were the youngest of them and since they had been together in the academy, they were closer than Riza and Jean or Riza and Breda.

Kain looked down at her. "You really look bad, First Lieutenant," he said worried. "Why didn't you say anything? You were working so hard … sometimes we really wonder why you never seem to relax. You will work yourself to death if you don't stop!"

She smiled a little bit. "You know were I live, right?" she asked. "I believe you dropped me off a week ago after the meeting. Well, you will get into the flat, get my stuff and … most importantly … you will speak with no one about anything you might see there. Pretend like it didn't exist. I will explain everything later … but I need to ask you for a favour…"

He nodded. "Everything for our queen," he said with a little bow.

"The problem is that you are the only one out of the squad who will tell neither the colonel nor anyone else about it," she said. "So … please stay at my flat until I am out of here, alright?"

He looked at her before he frowned slightly. "Do you have a dog, Hawkeye?"

If she wouldn't have lain in a hospital bed, she would have maybe laughed. "No," she said.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Kain knew why she had been acting strange. He opened the door and nearly tripped over a little girl who played right in front of the door with her dolls. She wore a neat blue dress and her golden hair was braided. She looked up at Kain and pouted. "You not mommy," she stated, disappointed. "I want mommy!"

He bent down and looked at her face. This had to be the lieutenant's daughter; there was no doubt about it. Alright, the eyes were green but that had nothing to mean even if Riza's eyes were dark brown like molten chocolate. But the golden hair and the facial features betrayed the relation between the sniper and the girl. "Hello," he said carefully.

"I don't speak with men in blue," she muttered.

"Listen, princess, your mommy is sick and asked me to take care of you…" he said. "Ehm … would you mind to show me where she keeps her clothes, little girl?"

Green eyes narrowed as she stared at him. "Laila," she said finally.

"Excuse me?"

"I … I am Laila…"

He smiled at her. "That's a beautiful name," he said. "My name is Kain. I work with your mommy and she told me to make sure that you are fine… are you all alone?"

"No-o-o," she exclaimed brightly. "My Nanny is here too!" She grabbed his hand as she got up and dragged him into Riza's bedroom. "Here does mommy keep her clothes," she smiled.

* * *

"I believe that I got it, Lieutenant," Kain said as he put down the little bag. "Laila says hello."

Riza frowned slightly at him before she grabbed the bag. "Give her my regards," she smiled.

"Did you went and got yourself a girl, Kain?" Jean, ever the gentleman, asked. "Is she hot?"

"I don't think that such a conversation should be held in front of our sick comrade," Roy said and sat down. "Soooooo, Hawkeye, mind to tell us why you worked that hard?"

She looked at him. "It's expensive to have a flat that close to headquarters," she stated. "And I don't want to hear anything about Laila from any of you, am I understood?"

"Yes, madam!" Havoc jumped and saluted. "I will never speak of it again!"

"I know that you and Fuery are close, Hawkeye, but … there is no need for you to worry that I could take this Laila away from him," Roy smirked. "I steal just Havoc's girlfriends – all the others are safe from me. Maybe you should tell Havoc that he has to stay away from Laila…"

Kain chuckled. "Believe me, Colonel, I am pretty sure that Hawkeye would kill both of you if you would try to flirt with Laila," he stated. "And I am sure that the girl would need a doctor afterwards because she would be horrified for the rest of her life…"

Riza laughed quietly before she blinked at him. He was right. Since she was really protective over her so-called daughter, she had vowed that she would chase any guy away.

"You know Laila too, yeah?" Jean asked. "Is she really that cute?"

For a second, she froze before a calculating smirk appeared on her face. It was very out of character for her but even if she had just end up in hospital again, she could have a little bit of fun, right? "Of course I know her," she said calmly. "A wonderful girl … very pretty … very smart … a bright smile … and stubborn like hell … but it's typical for her family I guess…"

"She looks like her mother," Kain sighed. "And those eyes … like emeralds…" He smirked. "I have to say, beauty seems to be part of her blood…"

Roy watched the two youngest of his team before he shrugged. "Fuery, you can stay and keep her company. Make sure that she follows her doctor's orders, alright?" he smiled at the young man. "I know that she outranks you, but … well … you are allowed to order her around a little bit since she is much too stubborn to accept that there are really people out there who know better than her what it good for her and what not…"

"Oh, excuse me, sir, but I have an appointment today," Kain muttered. "Maybe Jean would be the better option to keep her company. I … ehm … I promised someone that I would play with her and I would prefer to keep the promise…"

"Is your baby sister in town?" Vato asked. He and Kain were close and he knew about the family of the youngest member in the team. "If she is, tell her that I said hello."

Riza exhaled. Sometimes it was quite handy to know someone like Vato Falman who was maybe not the best soldier but a great man. She smiled weakly. "Give Esther my regards, Kain," she said.

Roy and Heymans left the room and the colonel looked a little bit angry. "Did you know that the Hawk's Eye and the guy who is afraid of guns are on first name basis?" he muttered darkly.

"Yes, I knew," his subordinate said. "They are friends from what I know and I believe that she was the one who visited him every day when he was in hospital last year. She cares for him."

"Stupid boy…" Roy said. "He should stay away from her … and I don't like it that they share some secret and that she doesn't tell me … I mean … we walked together trough the depths of hell…"

"I am sure that Hawkeye has a good reason for sharing her secret with him and not with you," Heymans said. "Maybe it is still about the mission that failed last year … they were stuck for more than an hour in this place before we got them out of it…"

* * *

With Kain as accomplice, things became easier for Riza.

She had someone to cover for her at work than Laila was ill and she couldn't leave. She had someone who was there the day she felt like everything around her was dying. And she pretended that she didn't notice that Roy was a little bit jealous. He had broken her heart and now he dared to be jealous just because of her new friendship with a fellow officer? It was ridiculous and she ignored it. And Laila adored Kain because he was always so friendly when he came over.


	3. Gracia and Maes Hughes

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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**Maes and Gracia Hughes**

* * *

Surprising enough, the Hughes' were the next who came behind Riza's secret.

It was winter when the Hughes along with their daughter came to EastCity and Elicia was a little bit ill, so Gracia took her to the doctor. And while she waited, Gracia noticed a pretty blond woman at the other side of the room. Said woman was reading a book while her daughter, also blond and pretty, sat right beside her and had her head in her mother's lap while her cheeks glowed feverish.

Maes Hughes' famous wife (her fame came from the fact that her husband always showed everyone photos of her and her daughter, Elicia) watched her closely and she was pretty impressed how calm the definitively younger woman handled the situation. Her daughter was neatly dressed and the blond hair was braided. The little girl didn't complain and just watched her mother. Gracia was usually no one to be nosy but the woman was barely nineteen and her child was at least two years old, maybe a little bit older, so the other woman mused how the young woman managed to care for herself and her child without being married – because there was no ring on her hands.

"Excuse me, Miss," Gracia began, "but … I was wondering how you manage to keep your daughter that calm. She looks so peaceful and so … angelic … I don't want to be impolite…"

"I can deal with your questions, Madam," the blonde replied. "Well, she is ill. Usually she would be very, very excited that we are here today but well … not today. She didn't sleep well and I am very sure that she is very tired. And I am very careful with chocolate because I don't want that she is on a sugar high all day long. Her nanny wouldn't like it." She smiled. "Oh, I believe I just forgot my manners; my name is Riza Hawkeye and this is my daughter Laila. Nice to meet you, Mrs…"

_As if you wouldn't know her name!_, she scolded herself. _Act like a usual mother and hope that she will forget you. The last thing you need is lieutenant colonel Hughes investigating why you have a daughter all of a sudden. This would be awkward…_

"Hughes, my name is Gracia Hughes and this is my daughter Elicia, Miss Hawkeye." The wife of Roy's best friend smiled while she thought about the name. Hawkeye … she _knew_ this name. Maes' subordinate and cousin-in-law, Lynn, had been Miss Hawkeye-Hamilton before her marriage with Martin Force. Maybe this woman was a relative of the silver-haired state alchemist.

"Very bold to guess that I am not married," Riza stated with a little frown. Like she had feared, Mrs Hughes was not less attentive and observant than her husband.

"You wear no ring and you seem to have a really hard life, Miss Hawkeye."

_And you do nothing to make it easier, Mrs Hughes. If you tell your husband, I will be in trouble._

"I was engaged, before the war," Riza said bitterly and she felt so bitter because it was the truth, "but he decided that he couldn't marry me after becoming a murderer. I guess that really qualifies as a hard life … but as long as I have my daughter, everything will be fine…"

"Oh, I am really sorry for you," Gracia said. "I reckon that Laila is his, yes? She … her eyes…"

"My father's eyes, Mrs Hughes, not my fiancés, if you wanted to ask that," Riza sighed. "Well, as much as I enjoyed our conversation, Mrs Hughes, I can't keep the doctor waiting."

But Laila's eyes were Charles' eyes, perfectly copied out of his face and this was part of the reason why it was sometimes so hard to look at the girl. Charles had been Riza's best friend in her childhood and while she had never loved him the way Kay had loved him, he had been still like a brother to her and sometimes, she was surprised how much she missed her old friend.

* * *

Maes Hughes stood in front of his best friend's office then he heard the voices.

"…what did the Doc said, Hawkeye?" the young technician asked worried.

"It's just a little cold … she should be fine very soon," Roy's actual aide and future wife – at least according to Hughes – replied and she sounded tired and slightly anxious. "I brought her home before I got back to the office. She cried a little bit but … I hope that Anne can handle her temper until I am back…"

"I could always cover up for you, Riza," the black-haired man in his early twenties said. "I mean, we are friends after all, aren't we? And you should be with her. She needs you now."

"No, I need to keep my cover," the sniper said. "You'll never guess who I met at the doctor's."

"It's pretty easy because the Lieutenant Colonel basically informed everyone about his daughter's cold," Fuery said. "I guess that you ran into Mrs Hughes."

"Yes."

"Do you think she saw the connection?"

"I … yes," Hawkeye sighed. "I knew that I should have called the doctor over to my place but I had that appointment scheduled weeks ago and … you know how I am…"

"That will make the things complicate … and I really hoped that we wouldn't get in trouble…"

"I am sorry … but you can always blame the doctor…"

"Never be sorry, Riza. Not for something like this."

"You start to sound like my precious cousin…" she sighed. "Well, let's get to work."

* * *

Riza was playing with Laila when someone knocked. She got up, grabbed her daughter and placed her on her hip before she went to open the door. She faced Maes Hughes who didn't look happy. "I guess I don't have to ask, Hawkeye," he said darkly. "Not after seeing the girl myself."

She looked at him before she turned away. "Come in, sir, the neighbours don't have to hear it," she said and her voice was oddly shattered and broken. "Well, what will you do now?"

"Whoa, whoa, I am not the bad guy here, Hawkeye," he said. "I am just trying to understand how you could keep such a secret. I mean, if Elicia wouldn't have been ill today, I wouldn't know."

"And you were better off, believe me," she said before she brought Laila to bed. "Any questions?"

"Does Roy know?"

She turned around to look at him. "I may be blond but I am not stupid," she said while she wondered when she had taken over Serena's often harsh attitude but her seemingly shy and silent cousin had always been the one who had infected other people with her attitude. "The colonel made quite clear that he doesn't wish to be involved with my private life and I respect that. And he wouldn't understand, so I never bothered to tell him."

"He was blind enough not to notice that you got … eh … bigger?" Maes asked.

"You seem to have a high opinion of your best friend, sir," she said before she sat down, "and he has nothing to do with my daughter."

"Wait a second … isn't he the father?"

"Of course not … like I said, he made very clear that I never deserved him."

"So … well … you slept with some random guy to get over him?"

"No. First of all: I am no slut, lieutenant colonel, and secondly: you can triple-check my personal life and you won't find a man with eyes like Laila has who could have been my lover, sir," she said before her lips curled upwards. "It is just very insulting that you think that low of me."

"You just don't tell enough, Hawkeye."

"I believe that you won't go until you heard the whole story," she said and sighed deeply. "During the war, I was not only assigned to the colonel. I was also assigned to protect the Lightening Star Alchemist, former Major General Kay Hawkeye Hamilton, who also happens to be my cousin as you should know since we know each other for a long time, don't we, Lieutenant Colonel?" She looked at him and for a moment, she remembered the boy she had known before the war, the boy who had been one of Kay's best friends and classmates. "During the war, she saw things which changed her forever … and not in a good way, I may add but as far as I know, you have seen her this way as well. She was depressed most of the time, so the high command decided to send her home for a short vacation. That was three months before the end of the war. She went home, slept with her husband and yes, she got pregnant. She came back, not knowing that she would have a child, and then … I can't remember exactly because it was too much that day … one day, she found a little child, a baby. It was still alive when she found it. She picked it up … and Kimblee shot it. The blood stained her uniform and everything … she wasn't herself anymore. Something inside of her snapped and she broke in some aspect.  
After the war, she got into trouble with the mafia and decided to disappear. She couldn't bear to take her daughter with her and basically blackmailed me into playing mommy. At first it was very hard … but now, I come around and I wouldn't trade her for anything."

"If you would have told anyone … everyone would have helped you…" Maes muttered. He believed her because he had seen Kay's tears and her blood-stained uniform. Of course, such an event had consequences for an unfortunate, pregnant woman even if she had been one of the strongest. He had known Kay nearly as good as Roy and Charles had known her even though he had never been as close to her as Riza who had been like Kay's second half.

"Seeing that you were Kay's classmate, I expected that you would understand that I couldn't ask for help because well … I am too proud and too stubborn to accept help. I believe Kain is the only exception I made in the past three years."

"Listen, Hawkeye, I know that your break-up with Roy was messy…"

"He wrote a **letter,** Lieutenant Colonel, he didn't think that I was worthy enough that he felt obligated to face me during the break-up. I am sorry, but … that's what I will never forgive him." It hurt her to speak about this chapter of her past because she had never expected this to happen. No one had seen this coming and Kay who had been there with her had been nearly as disappointed as Riza.

"You still follow him and you have his trust, Hawkeye…"

"I still follow him because I am a fool."

"Nah, don't speak so low of yourself, Hawkeye. A woman who could hide such a great part of her private life for more than two years is hardly a fool," Maes said and sighed. "Well, I guess that you will shot me as soon as I tell Roy, won't you?"

"I just hope that you have enough common sense that you won't run to him to tell on me," she said. "It would make things complicated … and I never intended to burden him."

The investigator sighed deeply. "I promise you that I won't tell him anything … and I am sure that Gracia won't tell him either," he said. "Your secret is safe with us … but what will happen if a mission would … eh … kill you?"

"Laila's nanny is informed about my job and she is also informed about the risk for my life. If I should die, she would take care of Laila," Riza replied stiffly. "And in case that I would get hurt and had to stay in the hospital, Kain would come over and take care of her. Believe me, sir, I am not where I am today because of my inability to organise something. And I have to admit that you are right when you say that children are wonderful."

"You know, if someone would have told me that you're a mother … I don't know if I would have believed it," Maes said before he got up. "Well, I believe I stole already enough of your precious time, First Lieutenant. You … eh … can play with Laila now. And don't worry, I will tell Roy not that you have a little child at home … yes, that would be everything for now…" he gulped. "But … can I see her again? I mean, she is surely pretty but … alright: where do you get these clothes? They are so beautiful and I wondered if I could get the same for my darling!"

She sighed. "If you want to, you can have everything what doesn't fit anymore," she said. "Laila is older than Elicia and taller. So you can have the things I don't need anymore." She got up. "Wait a second –I will get Laila and the things."

"Hawkeye, you are simply the best!" Maes announced. "And if there is something I could do to help you … I will do it…"

"You could stop calling the colonel trice per day. I am always the one who files the paperwork for a new telephone when he destroyed it," she said. "Once or twice would be enough … and he would maybe get his work done on time … and I wouldn't have to stay late and I would have more time for Laila…"

Maes nodded. "It will be hard for me … but I guess that I will call Gracia more!" he said. "And if it will help you to spend more time with your daughter, Hawkeye, I will try to restrain myself…"

She smiled a little bit when she left the room. "That's nice," she said.

* * *

The next day, Roy was very surprised when his best friend rushed into the room. Well, that was nothing new but … Maes stopped in front of Riza's desk and handed her a little present and the usual stack of photos before he sat down on the edge of the table. "Look at this, Hawkeye!" he cooed. "Elicia looks soooo cute with her new cap! I never saw such a cap before, I mean, it has ears on it! You have to tell me where you got it because I want to buy more of it!"

She sighed. "There is a little shop close to the park," she said and lowered her voice. "I always buy everything there … so … it's always worth the walk, I would say." She looked at the present. "And since it's not my birthday today, sir, you really shouldn't give me a present…"

"Ah, it's my old camera … I don't need it anymore … and Gracia thought that you could enjoy it. I mean, you have a good eye and maybe your photos can catch all the moments you never want to forget or something like that…" he shrugged. "It's not much but maybe it will make you happy."

Jean nearly fainted. "You just want to recruit another insane person!" he yelled. "You want to torture us, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" he looked at Roy who seemed shocked. "Please, boss, help us! We are much too young to die…!"


	4. Jean Havoc

**Jean Havoc**

* * *

Half a year later, Jean Havoc was the next to meet Laila, but the reason why he visited Riza was a very sad one: Major Serena Hawkeye Hamilton died up at Briggs where she had worked for Major General Armstrong. Jean felt guilty because he had been the one who had announced the death of the woman without realising that she was related to his colleague. He got it as soon as Riza took her coat and asked for permission to leave with an oddly shaky voice. But because Jean was a nice guy, he wanted to apologise for his rudeness and made his way to Riza's flat. He had had to ask Kain where the blond woman lived and the technician had hesitated before he had given him the address. Jean had even bought chocolate and flowers to apologise properly.

But it wasn't Riza who opened the door. It was a little girl with golden hair. And since Jean had spent months with admiring Riza's hair from afar, he knew that this girl was related to her. He bowed slightly and bent down. "Hi, I am Jean Havoc," he said. "Is Riza in?"

"If you mean my mommy, yes, she is there," the girl said. "But she is very sad today…"

"I know and I wanted to cheer her up," Jean said. "What's your name, little one?"

"Laila Hawkeye," she replied and stepped back. "Come in, she is in her room."

"So … you're her daughter, yes?" he asked while he followed her.

She nodded. "Yes."

"And you and her live all alone here in this big flat?"

"Yes. But sometimes we get visitors … like Mr Kain … or Mr Hughes and his family," Laila said. "It is not always just mommy and I, don't worry."

Jean froze as Riza left the room. She was pale but her eyes were sharp yet sad. "I am sorry," he said and held out the presents. "I should have read the whole name and I should have known that I shouldn't announce her death in front of the others. It's not the right way to inform a soldier of his comrade's and cousin's death. I am really sorry, Hawkeye."

She sighed and hugged Laila before she accepted the presents. "I and my cousins always knew that we could hear something like that everyday," she said. "It wasn't your fault. I never told anyone that she was my little cousin, the youngest…" She had a hard time with keeping her emotions in check. "It's odd that she died first … I always guessed that Kay would be the first … it's really crazy … I could always imagine her funeral … yet I never was sure if it would be an enemy who killed her or suicide after the war…" she sat down and held Laila tightly. "I could even imagine Lynn's death … I was always sure that she would get killed for knowing too much. She always walked right into the biggest mess available…" she sighed. "But I could never see a reason for Serena to die … she was the most careful of us … I probably thought about the possibility that she could die in childbirth or something like that … a car crash … but never that way … she was so damn young … barely twenty…" she buried her face in Laila's hair. "God knows how much Lynn suffers … they were twins for crying out loud…"

Jean sat down next to her. "I am sure that everything will be fine soon," he said. "Yes, Mermaid will stay dead but … well … you have us. We are your friends, Hawkeye. Come on; is there a friend I could call? Catalina, Fuery? I am sure that they would love to come over to help you."

"You can call … Kain," she whispered. "He can take Laila to the playground or something. I need a little time for myself … it's hard to deal with … like I said, I never imagined her death like that…"

In reality, she simply couldn't believe that anyone had been able to sneak up on Serena to kill her because out of all the people Riza knew, Serena had always been the most careful and the most paranoid. She had always been very cautious and to think that she had been murdered because she hadn't heard the enemy approaching. And Riza also didn't believe in the story the high command had tried to tell her. Serena hadn't been killed by Drachman rebel because her cousin would have heard any soldier or rebel long before they would have spotted her. She had been assassinated by someone who had wanted to kill no one else but her.

"If you want, I can go out with her," Jean suggested. "I had three little sisters in my neighbourhood when I was younger … I can deal with her. And you need probably really a little break…"

She shook her head. "I don't need a break," she said, "but I would like to remind you that I would like to keep her existence a secret. Hell knows what people would make out of it…"

He nodded. "Of course," he said. "Your secret is safe with me. But … may I ask who Laila's father is, Hawkeye? She doesn't look like the colonel…"

"Why is everyone assuming that he is the father?" she sighed. "If you really want to know the whole story, Havoc, ask Kain or Hughes. I am not in the mood to tell the whole story again."

"You were raped during the war?"

"Jean Havoc, no," she sighed. "If I were, I would have reported the man and it would be in my file. And don't give me that look – I know that all of you read my file."

"You and Major General Hamilton reported Major Kimblee for sexual harassment," he stated.

"We did … because he was a bastard and deserved it," she muttered. "Kay hated him even more and she added insubordination to his crimes. She was really angry back then."

'Really angry' was probably the understatement of the century because Kay had been livid. Riza had seen her cousin never that furious before – and she had known her longer and better than anyone else.

"In your file stood that Kimblee suspected that you fraternised with a certain Major Mustang…"

Her cheeks were crimson. "Why does everything that we slept together?" she asked annoyed. Yeah, it was true but she had never told anyone – and she never would admit it either.

"No idea … it's probably just the way you act around each other," he shrugged. "People don't know why you are so close, so they assume that you are sleeping together…" he looked at Laila but she had fallen asleep minutes ago. "Alright, Hawk, tell me: who is the father?"

She barely smiled. "I adopted her, three years ago," she said. "Her parents are the former Major General Kay Hawkeye Hamilton and her husband, Charles Mayer. Happy?"

He paled. "I can barely imagine how much of a temper this girl has to have, seeing that Golden and her husband are still infamous for their behaviour and their arguments…"

"I dealt with both of them since I was a little child," Riza said. "Believe me; I saw arguments between them which were worse than the one which led into a reconstruction of Southern Headquarters."

Her co-worker raised an eyebrow. "No way in **hell**, Hawkeye."

"Their teacher was in hospital for eight weeks and their complete campus was destroyed."

"Well … don't mess with the alchemists, right?"


	5. The Elrics

**The Elrics**

* * *

Little did Roy know what he did when he told the newly-recruited Elric-brothers that they should try Riza's place when they couldn't get a room in town. And so, the young Fullmetal Alchemist and his little brother knocked at Riza's door one evening.

Riza asked herself why she still opened the door. It always meant trouble, more people who could slip and reveal her secret to the wrong person. Still, she smiled a little bit. "Major Elric, Mr Elric," she said as she saw them. "What can I do for you?"

Edward looked up at her. "Nice flat," he stated. "Big and neat … mind if we stay for the night?"

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded. "Don't be so rude!"

"Sorry, but after the things in Central City, I am a little bit annoyed!" Fullmetal said before he bowed. "I am sorry; Hawkeye, but … you read the report, didn't you? You know what happened."

Oh, she knew just too well. Lynn who had had the misfortune of encountering the brothers in the capital had complained in her last letter about the way 'Fullmetal had embarrassed every single state alchemist alive with his utter disrespect for any rules – even Crimson would have known better than to attempt to break into my private library' and seeing that Lynn was probably the most easy-going state alchemist Riza had ever seen, it was likely that Edward had annoyed the hell out of her. She nodded as she stepped back. "I saw that you met Lynn… that makes the situation interesting for me…" she stared at the boys. "In twenty years, she never was the lucky one. She was always the one who suffered … yes, her lot was always the most difficult … it was hard for her, harder than for anyone else … but she knew the rules before she started the game…"

Lynn's misfortune was legendary among her relatives and Kay had once stated that Lynn could find a corpse wherever she went – and her younger sister had proven to possess this ability seconds later when she had stepped outside just to run into a case of cold-blooded murder.

"Mommy, mommy!" a blond girl yelled before she hugged Riza's knees. "You told me that Uncle Kain would come over … and this short person is not Uncle Kain!"

Before Alphonse could stop him, Edward tried to attack the girl but Riza's reaction was fast enough to take the hit and to counter it with an even harder slap. Years of training with Charles Mayer who was a master of martial arts had paid of in the end.

"If you want to stay in my flat, Edward Elric, you will not attack my daughter!" she hissed while she let go of the arm she had twisted before. "If you will ever raise your hand against her again, you will learn why bullets in vital body parts are not so healthy. Am I understood?"

It was rare for Riza to yell if she wasn't arguing with her equals. She was used to step back and to leave the field to another person. But this time, she yelled. She yelled at a boy with a higher rank and yes, she as a hater of child abuse had just slapped the Golden Boy of the military.

Alphonse looked at his brother who seemed frozen before he stared at Riza. "He is sorry," the armour said. "You know how he is when someone calls him small…"

"Laila hates it when someone calls her a freak," Riza stated before she picked the girl up. "C'mon, boys, I was cooking. Laila, show them the guest room."

* * *

"So … Lieutenant … the girl is your daughter, you said?" Edward asked after dinner when Laila was playing with Alphonse in her room. "She doesn't look like Colonel Bastard at all…"

Riza frowned at him. "Why should she?"

"Well, usually, children look like their parents, Miss Hawkeye…"

"He isn't her father and I would be really happy if everyone could stop to think that," she said darkly. "For your information, Edward, I adopted her some months after the war. You can see the files if you want too. It was a perfectly legal action and…"

He smirked at her. "I guess that the colonel doesn't know, yeah?" he said. "Well, I am sure that he wouldn't have sent me and Al here if he had known that a little child would be around … not after the whole Nina-case … Laila is like, I don't know, four?"

"She turned five last month," Riza replied. "We had a nice little party with Kain, Jean and the Hughes. Laila gets along with Elicia … I had just to make sure that the Colonel wouldn't see a picture of her. This would make everything a little bit complicated and I don't want that."

Edward nodded slowly. "Care to explain why the colonel doesn't know? I mean … he and you … you seem to be very close … aren't you a couple or something?"

Her smile became a frown. "He broke up with me, six years ago. He told me that I wouldn't deserve him … in a letter…" she said and her voice still betrayed how hurt she was.

Edward got up and looked at her. "He will pay," he said grimly and rushed out of the flat.

She just stared at his leaving form and sighed. Now, everything was messed up.

* * *

Colonel Roy Mustang and his best friend were at the bar when the Fullmetal Alchemist rushed in and slapped Roy with all the power he could muster. Roy held his crimson cheek and looked down at him. "What was that for, Fullmetal?" he asked confused.

"It was for hurting Hawkeye!" the teen yelled. "She deserved better than a bastard like you!"

The black-haired man sighed. "That was why I couldn't marry her," he stated. "She deserved a man who could make her happy … and not a monster. She … she never tried to change my mind, so I hardly 'hurt' her, Fullmetal. You can apologise now," he added.

"From what I and Gracia heard, you wrote a letter with the content – and I quote – _'You don't deserve me, Riza.'_ And I guess that she understood it the other way around … that you thought that you were too good for her," Maes said. "And since she thought that, it's clear why she never tried to get you back … and why she still follows you. For her, your little note had the meaning of _'You don't deserve me because you are just a poor woman without connections while I am going too be the next Fuhrer. So, don't bother me with your pathetic speeches'_ … or that is at least what Gracia guesses. I hate to say it, Roy, but you messed it up."

Roy groaned and downed his beer. "Maybe I should talk with her…" he said.

Edward shook his head. "No, she had a … headache when I left to hit you!" he said hastily. "And she was in a bad mood because I … well … I nearly hit the little girl…"

Maes stepped on his feet.

"Which little girl?" Roy asked and looked at his youngest subordinate.

"The daughter of Ri- Hawkeye's neighbour," Maes lied. "The first lieutenant looks after her when her mother is out."

The colonel had a hard time to believe something like this. No one who knew Riza would dare to bother her with something like that on a regular basis. But since he had no idea why they teamed up to lie to him. He had also noticed that Maes had started to call Riza at least once per day and since she was much calmer than him, she held a whole conversation with him and gave advises. Come to think of it: why had Riza of all people knowledge of good boutiques for clothes for kids?


	6. Vato Falman and nearly Roy Mustang

**Vato Falman and nearly Roy Mustang**

ATTENTION: I am leaving the canon now completely! I can never bring myself to kill Hughes, so two other people die in his place. For everyone who maybe read The White King And His Black Queen and liked Martin and Lynn, I am sorry.

* * *

Three days later, Vato Falman had to visit Riza's flat in a very, very unpleasant matter. Maes Hughes was with him since the lieutenant colonel hadn't been able to send the man home.

The reason for their visit?

Major Helena Hawkeye Hamilton and her husband, Captain Martin Force, had been murdered in cold blood. Maes had still a hard time to believe that they were gone since they had been excellent soldiers but they had been found in a dark alley. Maes didn't even want to think of it.

Martin Force had been his one year younger cousin and he had been as obsessed with his wife and his children as Maes with Gracia and Elicia. Men like Martin were not allowed to die but still, Maes had always known that he would outlive his cousin because Martin would always get in trouble. This time, he had gone too far and had been killed with Lynn at his side. Martin had held his wife but he hadn't been able to protect her. The worst thing was: Lynn had been working for Maes for some months after she had been transferred from WestCity back to Central City along with her husband and she had been informed about everything in the 5th institute.

Since she had been a state alchemist, she had had most likely tried to do some researches of her own since she hadn't been present when the Fuhrer had forbidden this. Her injuries had been bad. She had been shot, right in front of a telephone booth and she had bled to death since her injuries hadn't been bad enough to kill her instantly. And this was the odd thing about her death. She had been a state alchemist who had specialised in Organic Transmutation and she had been damn good. It was very strange that she of all people had bled to death. And she had held her gun … and yet, she hadn't shot. She hadn't fought back.

And exactly that was the thing no one could understand because Lynn had been one of the best alchemists on the battlefield. She had never lost a single fight against serious opponents while her best friend and fellow state alchemist under the name Breeze Soul had been able to beat her up many times. Maes had hoped to get Breeze Soul when he had heard that he would get a state alchemist from WestCity because the other woman had the reputation of a harsh taskmistress who got everyone to work – even Roy Mustang who had a past with the Air Alchemist.

Maes felt guilty. He had been her commander and Martin had been his cousin. They had been the parents of two cute and smart children, twins. The girl was called Victoria Olivier and her brother Maes Nick but everyone called him just Nick.

Riza opened her door and her eyes were slightly red and puffy. "I … already got the news," she said and wrapped her scarf tighter around her shoulders. "They were murdered last night."

Maes stepped forward and hugged her carefully while she cried. He had cried too because Martin had been like his little brother even if they had been close in age. "I know, it is hard," he said and rubbed her back, "but it will get even worse, Hawk- Riza. The twins, you remember? I heard from Major Armstrong that you or I will be the lucky ones to take care of them. Since you and Lynn were always close, I will leave the decision to you."

Her fingers grabbed his shirt as she cried even harder. "I … I cannot…" she whispered. She couldn't do it because while she had been very close to Kay, she had never been as close to Lynn who had been always alone in a way. Sure, Serena's older twin had been a close friend to most of them but she had never been really close to anyone but Martin who had died along with her. And from what Riza remembered about Lynn's and Martin's twins, they were just as smart and witty as their parents which would be the end of her since Lynn had been the meanest out of them. No one would have thought this but Lynn had been the one to make sure that everyone stayed away from her friends and back in her schooldays, her favourite comment had been 'Bitch, please' when another girl had tried to mess with Lynn's precious friends.

Falman cleared his throat. "First Lieutenant Hawkeye, the state offers you a week off after the loss of two close relatives in less than a year," he said stiffly. "I will-" He froze and gasped. "First Lieutenant, who is the girl and why is she here?"

Riza sighed as she straightened herself and pushed her golden hair back. "This is exactly the reason why I never wanted to get that business started," she muttered. "Well, Falman, meet my daughter, Laila. I believe I mentioned her some years ago."

Laila rushed away since she didn't trusted Edward to be careful around her dolls and Falman stared at the doorway where she had stood in shock. "She doesn't look like the colonel at all…" he whispered. "How…"

Seeing that Riza was maybe not the calmest woman today, Maes took the chance to pipe in. "No, Roy is not Laila's father," he sighed, "and Laila is adopted. Hell, why does everyone assume that he would be irresponsible enough to get her pregnant? He may be an idiot but that would be a little bit too foolish, even for a fool like him…"

Riza exhaled and vowed that she would probably yell at the next person to assume that her daughter's father would be the colonel.

Maes grabbed her upper arm and led her to the living room. "Do you need a break or can I ask you my questions now?" he asked carefully.

"I don't believe that Lynn and Martin would be grateful if I would mourn their deaths that much," she muttered and inhaled deeply before she nodded. "I believe I am ready."

"Falman, you write the report," Maes said. "Just write everything down – just nothing about the girl." He looked at Riza. "Alright, since we are on the same page of interest here, we should think about someone with an interest to kill Lynn or Martin. Since she was killed first, I guess that the whole attack was aimed on her. So … has she any enemies?"

Riza laughed bitterly. "Lynn is … was always calm, much calmer than I or Kay, yet less calm than Serena. But that Lynn was always this silent and calm was part of her greatest act," she said. "She was the most cunning girl I've ever met. Kay and I got in trouble. Lynn and Serena … were always the nice girls. They never got in trouble … they never fought in school … they never were bullied … they were always the perfect daughters and I can't remember that Lynn had ever an enemy … but that was because no one was stupid enough to mess with her. She was too smart for a ridiculous hatred.  
But she had always a thing for getting in trouble by chance. I mean, she was intelligent and everything, but sometimes, she was really a little bit too foolish." She sighed before she looked at Maes who knew exactly what she meant. "And … the place where they were killed … I have known Lynn since she had been a very small child … she never was dumb enough to be in a park at night … so … who did she want to call?"

Maes looked down. "After Fullmetal's last visit in Central, Lynn was … a changed woman," he said and his voice was barely more than a whisper. "She was always stressed, spent many hours in the library, she snapped at me when I asked her what she was researching … and she lied. She said that she was searching something for the next evaluation but she has been excluded years ago because her success had been huge enough to grant her the position as a state alchemist for the next thirty years." He gulped. "You of all people should know how amazing Lynn's alchemy was, Riza. She could heal nearly everything!"

The young woman nodded. "But still … she always had bad luck with her cards," she said.

"What do you mean?" Vato interrupted.

She sighed. "When we were children, we used to play a game," she said. "We took a card and did what the card wanted us to do. It was harmless; we always knew where to stop. Still, Lynn always got the cards which brought her close to a place of crime. She witnessed eight murders in three years … I guess that explains why she joined the military."

"To make our streets safer," Maes nodded. "Hmh … what was the reason why you stopped the game, Riza? And who knew of it?"

"We stopped because it was over. And just my father and his sister knew of it. Father found it not so good because I was wasting precious time and their mother hated it … it was a main reason why we still played it after the war. We wanted to finish the last round…"

"May I ask who won the game?" Vato asked.

"I won," Riza said. "Lynn always said that I was cheating but I wasn't. I was just lucky that my last task was easy enough … _'The wheel – change your life and become someone else'_ … Kay helped me to win, I guess," she added. "Without Laila I would probably still mourning over my sins…"

"THE COLONEL!" Edward suddenly yelled.

"No, he never knew…" Riza said and shook her head. "He was trying to get to know the secret but we never let him join in … it was our game and we wanted to finish without a male person."

"I didn't mean the game – though I never knew that you were in that kind of stuff, Hawkeye!" the teenager shouted. "I mean … HE IS OUTSIDE AND ALPHONSE THINKS THAT HE MAY COME IN!"

Riza had war-experience and she was up on her feet in a flash. "Falman, bring all the toys in Laila's room! Edward, stay with her and make sure that he can't come in. Maes, hide the photos!" she ordered before she rushed to the window. "Edward, Alphonse, you were right. He is there."

"And he is coming," Maes added. "Well, since Edward has – hey, Ed! Riza said nothing about making the door disappear!"

* * *

Roy was not sure if it was a good idea to bother Riza with his presence after the loss of one of her closest friends but he was also sure that she would need some company who had known Lynn Hawkeye as a child. Roy had been at Hawkeye's Manor since he had been ten and the girls had always been there. The always silent and calm Serena, the composed and relaxed Helena (her name had become Lynn over the years) who had been twins and hardly expected anyone else in their friendship. The cheerful and smart Riza and the demanding and gifted Kay who had been another hell-raising duo had also been very sharp with their words whenever someone from the outside came too close to them.

At one point during his long apprenticeship, Kay had been his fellow apprentice but Master Hawkeye hadn't been happy with her temper. She was easily mad and it took sometimes days to calm her down. But still, she had been always a little bit better than Roy and it had bothered him. The day, she had left the manor for good had been wonderful because she hadn't went without a fight. She had argued with her uncle for hours and she had gone when he had told her that he knew not enough about the Flame Alchemy to help her.

He could still hear their shouting in his ears when he closed his eyes. It had been awful. Kay had had a temper which could rival her uncle's and she had always been a strange girl. He had never seen Kay as a potential general but then they had met during the war she had already been a brigadier general. Some people said that she had sold her soul for her carrier … but every state alchemist sold his soul at the one point or another. After the war, she had left for the South before she had disappeared along with her husband years ago.

Despite the rivalry between him and her, Roy had always liked Kay because she had always been the first to throw an insult at him then he had tried to annoy them. Her patience had always been short and he remembered how she had thrown a fit at Kimblee's remark that he totally loved her hair – and that he wanted to see it all over his pillows. Kimblee had gotten a hard slap which had coloured his cheek crimson for hours and a note in his file because of sexual harassment.

Roy smirked at the memory before he knocked. Inside the flat, everything was silent until he heard firm steps and Vato opened the door. "Good day, sir," the warrant officer said as he saluted. "We didn't know that you were coming too."

"Well, I wanted to speak with Hawkeye for a few minutes," Roy replied. "How … how is she?"

"The lieutenant colonel says that it became harder to bear for her this time," he said. "He said that Helena Hawkeye was a little bit closer to her than Serena Hawkeye. I can imagine that it hurts more than any of us can imagine … she even cried when we came."

"She already knew?" Roy asked surprised while he entered. "How is that possible?"

"It seems like your dear friend Hakuro bullies everyone in your unit," Maes said while he raised his head. Riza sat beside him on the couch, her face hidden behind her hands, powerless, nothing more than a broken woman with no strength to move on. "He called her at six in the morning, as soon as he knew that your aide was Silver Star's closest relative."

Roy had had a hard time dealing with the fact that Lynn was gone forever since she had been always there. He remembered that he hadn't spoken with her in years, not since she had left Hawkeye's Manor at least, but he had seen her during the meetings. Always there, always attentive … and a little bit unlucky but blessed in another way since she been able to avoid direct service in Ishbal … Roy had seen her at the age of twelve, healing a nearly lethal wound of her late mother, Major General Reine Hawkeye, and he had always imagined that her skill would have increased over the years. She had always been a wonderful ally and a terrible enemy. She had gotten her state qualification for her ability to separate a chimera which was a really rare skill.

"Hawkeye?" Roy asked softly. "How … how do you feel?"

She looked at him but it wasn't First Lieutenant Hawkeye's eyes. They belonged to Miss Riza, the shy yet strong girl. "Bad…" she admitted. "No one will give me a moment in peace, Colonel. I would be much better if I could be alone with myself for a minute or two, sir."

He looked at her and nodded. "If that's your wish, I respect it," he said. "I just came to let you know that I will miss Lynn too… she was a good woman … and I can understand your anger and your agony, especially after Serena's death, half a year ago. I just hope that you will move on."

She looked at him and a hint of her old temper was visible for a second. "I believe I always moved on, Mr Mustang," she said and the blow hit its aim. The accusation was well-hidden, of course, the Hawkeye-girls had been infamous for their huge amount of discretion and tact, but Roy knew what she meant. 'I always stood up when you or another person dropped me … that's why I stopped to trust anyone. You left me. Everyone left me – even Kay left – and she cared the most…' Roy knew that she was probably right but still … everything seemed so surreal that he could barely understand why her words hurt, even after all this time.

He and the other men turned to leave when a young and obviously female voice started to yell: "Don't call me a freak, Edward! I will hit you if you keep that up!"

Maes froze and a strange expression of guilt appeared on his face as he dragged his best friend out of the flat. Meanwhile, Riza sat down with trembling hands. It had been close.


	7. Nearly Roy Mustang and Jade Mustang

**Nearly Roy Mustang and Jade Mustang**

* * *

It was clear that Roy was the only member of the team who didn't know about his former fiancées daughter after the tragic death of Kay and her husband Charles. Heymans who had been the last one to learn about the girl had been the one to tell Riza about her loss which caused the transfer of Colonel Roy Mustang and his unit to Central City. Roy didn't even suspect it and the others tried everything to keep it a secret – especially from him. During the chaos which they called a transfer, Riza had explained her daughter the whole situation. Laila knew now that 'mommy' wasn't really her mother, but she didn't mind. For her, mommy was the wonderful person who had taken care of her for all these years.

Another change was that Laila went to school. She was just five but the headmaster had accepted her since she already knew to read and to count to 109. (She secretly suspected that she count even further but she had never tried.) For a five-year-old, it was pretty impressive.

The school was close to Riza's flat and Laila decided to be old enough to walk alone. Her mother was very proud of her and Laila was happy to go to school. She was a good student, the best of her class. She even surpassed Selim Bradley. The marks she brought home were excellent and she (almost) never got in trouble. Granted, her temper was not always easy to deal with and that Edward had taught her a little bit alchemy didn't make it easier of the others to talk with her but she tried very hard to fit in.

And one afternoon, Roy ran into her – literally.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" she hissed as she stood up and glared at him. "I just ruined my homework! Thank you very much! Mommy will be mad!"

The man looked down at her. "Didn't your mommy tell you to respect soldiers, little girl?"

"Mommy said that it's the person behind the rank who deserves the respect – not the uniform," she replied calm.

"Don't get smart with me!"

"Don't yell at me! I'll tell my mommy that you pushed me and then she will yell at you … you even ruined my best dress! Mommy will be upset since it was new! We bought it yesterday. I am very sure that she will report you!"

He stared down at her in confusion. "How old are you, little girl?"

"Five but I go already to school."

"What's your name?"

"My mommy calls me Eliza but my great-grandfather calls me Elizabeth," she lied without batting an eye. "Elizabeth Grumman, I recently moved to Central City."

"So, Miss Elizabeth Grumman, I am sorry," he sighed while he thought about her last name. Grumman? Was she the daughter of his former commander's infamous granddaughter?

"It's no real apology since you don't mean it. You're just saying that you were sorry because you don't want my great-grandfather to report you."

He kneeled down in front of her. "I am sorry. Your knees look really bad."

"This time you mean it – Colonel!" she paled. "Oh, oh … mommy will be mad at me … I am not allowed to talk to anyone with a rank higher than lieutenant colonel! Great-grandfather and great-grandmother are the only exceptions…" she muttered and sounded quite nervous. "She will be upset with me…"

"Why should she be upset with you? And why are you not allowed to speak with me?"

"I don't know – I am just not allowed to."

"That makes no sense! Of course can you talk to me, Elizabeth! I am just human after all – hey, why are you scared? Are you afraid that your mommy will yell at you or something?" he asked.

"She never yells at me! She is part of the movement Soldier against child abuse!"

"So … why are you afraid? You weren't afraid before when you were bold … and you are too smart to accept a rule without a good reason…"

"There is a reason," she said sharply. "My mommy isn't one of the women who make a rule without a good reason! It's just that a colonel broke my mommy's heart many years ago … and I guess that she just doesn't want to have something to do with a colonel again … but my uncles say that she still cares for the fool…"

"Oh."

"Sometimes she is really upset because of this guy … and I hate to see her upset."

"That's bad."

"Yes … oh, I have to leave. I need to change before I can go to my piano lesson." She bowed slightly and rushed away.

"See you around!" he yelled after her.

She didn't even bother to turn around.

* * *

Two weeks later, Riza came home late at night. Laila was still awake because she always waited until her mother came back. She looked at her mommy and stood up to hug her as Riza collapsed into a chair. Her cheeks were still wet and she looked terrible. "Mommy?" Laila asked carefully.

"I am sorry, Laila, but I need to get back to the hospital," her mommy whispered. "Tonight, a mission went wrong. I need to watch over Uncle Jean and the colonel. I am sorry, honey."

Laila looked at her. "Is uncle Jean hurt?" she asked and bit her lip. "He promised that he would go in the park with me at the weekend! And he never breaks his promises!"

"His back got hurt … he was still in surgery when I left to look after you," Riza said and wiped the tears away. "Maybe he will be still in the hospital at the weekend … but as soon as he can walk again, he will go in the park with you, I am sure of it."

The little girl frowned before she ran into her room. When she came back, she held out a book. "When he will be in the hospital, he will need something to read," she said and smiled a little bit. "And this is the book he always reads to me when he looks after me when you have to work."

Her mother smiled before she took the book and kissed Laila on the forehead before she left. Laila went to bed and cried bitter tears. She had never seen her mother's tears and it scared her. She slept not so well and the next day, she woke up and her mother was still away. She got ready for school before she left the home. She hadn't eaten anything, she was tired and she was annoyed when Selim Bradley tried to speak with her. She snapped at him and spent the break all alone. She hated this stupid boy who had been the top of her class until she had come into his class. She hated her teacher who preferred Selim because his father was oh so important. And she was bored while she listened to her teacher because it was too easy for her. She was still ahead of her class because her mommy had taught her well. She sighed.

* * *

"I see." The woman's voice was clear and caring but sharp in a certain way. Her long brown hair was braided and her dark green, nearly black eyes were trained on the man in front of her. Her fingers were wrapped around a silver pocket watch which marked her as a state alchemist and covered in black gloves. She wore a black blazer, a black top, black jeans and black boots. Even the rim of her glasses was black. The sole spot of colour were found on her lips which had the colour of a rose.

"You see?" the man in front of her asked. "You really understand?"

"Yes, I understand that you are an idiot!" she hissed. "In Truth's name – what were you thinking, Roy? To break up with someone you love during a war? Were you insane? You were killing your hope! I would never do something that foolish and I am a romantic idiot after all!"

"You weren't in Ishbal, my dearest darling," he replied and his voice was sarcastic. "You became a state alchemist three months after the war – even if I told you that you shouldn't do it."

"Someone has to keep an eye on you," the woman called Jade said calmly and took of her gloves before she grabbed a mug. "Bradley keeps bothering me to get a tattoo," she said after a pause.

"Will you get one?" Roy asked and handed her the sugar.

"I am not that insane, Roy-boy," she said. "There may be a time when I will have to live undercover after a failed mission … and if I would have tattoos on my palms, everyone would be able to find me and to drag me back to WestCity to fulfil my duty. Believe me, I am safer that way … and I don't want to touch my children with tattooed hands … it would be like touching them with blood-stained hands, wouldn't it?"

Roy looked at her, trying to figure what she was thinking behind her dark eyes. While his eyes were really black, her eyes just seemed to be. While he was a monster, she just seemed to be. He was happy about that. "You are worrying me, Breeze Soul," he finally said. "I wasn't aware of your plan to leave the military to become a mother and a housewife…"

She laughed bitterly. "I will not leave until you reached your goal," she said, "and even when you reach your goal, there is no guarantee that I will find someone who wants to marry me…"

He looked at her and his eyes were filled with guilt. "I am sorry," he told her.

She sighed and turned around. "I am sorry too," she said and looked over her shoulder. "Well, I guess that we will see each other again. The Pirate King just transferred me back."

His eyes were suddenly shadowed with self-hatred. "I am sorry for dragging you into this mess," he apologised. "I know that it's not easy for you … Lieutenant Colonel Mustang."

He hated to call her this. He hated to be reminded of the fact that his decision had tempted her to follow him into the army … and here she had lost her best friend and therefore a good deal of her happiness. He regretted this but now, he couldn't change anything.

"I will be wearing uniform," she stated like it was some illness – and maybe she was right.

"It's time that you start," he said. "I mean, you have been a state alchemist for nearly five years. You got promoted for your bravery three years ago. You're not a child anymore, Jade. You chose that way and you knew the rules. Sometimes I really wonder if you are related to Fullmetal."

She laughed a little bit. "I don't think so," she said. "Well, I will go and change – I fear that the Pirate wants to see me again. He bullies me, Roy."

"It's just because you are related to me," he shrugged. "It's hardly my fault that my father was your mother's brother."

She grinned at him before she left and got her uniform. It was still stiff because she had never worn it since her official promotion. Her former commander had never cared about something like that. She changed before she started to put all her decorations onto her left breast. She had earned many over the past five years.

The little golden tigress on a green ground marked her as a former cadet of the WesternMilitaryAcademy. She had been the captain of the cadets in her first, second and third year because she had been always a born leader – so she had had four decorations by the time she had left the academy.  
That was rare – and even her cousin hadn't had the same amount of reputation. Her first decoration after her graduation had been the campaign ribbon for her participation in the One-Week-War against Creta. It was blue, black and green and she had always known that it was stupid – nearly as stupid as the name of the war.  
One year later, she had gotten the Charlotte-cross for her bravery above and beyond the call of duty. If she had known that she would get a promotion for getting captured and fighting her way back all alone, she would have done it earlier.  
Then, half a year later, the first of her three Black Lions – for a 'terrible wound' she had suffered in a battle. (Yes, a broken leg was surely terrible.)  
Another medal had been the Crimson Heart for her selfless act in combat when she had saved her squad by using herself as bait.  
Her five year of service medallion … she remembered standing between her brother and Lynn … Lynn who was nothing more than a name and a sad memory by now.  
The Fire Topaz of Courage – Jade had never thought that she would get this decoration one way because she was a coward even if nobody knew. She had never deserved her Llewellyn Knot and her Hummingbird Cross because she was much but never a brilliant commander. She was a good commander but she was no one who could lead a whole army into a battle.

She left the room were she had changed and hated her reflection.

A blond woman with even more decorations came from another hallway and Jade was tempted to salute her before her eyes spotted the rank insignia. The other woman was a First Lieutenant.

"Madam," she said and her right hand flew up for a perfect salute.

"At ease, lieutenant," Jade sighed, "and never salute me again. It's troublesome for me."

The first lieutenant lowered her hand and smiled a little smile. "Welcome in Central, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," she said. "I hope that you will enjoy your stay."

Jade's eyes became huge as she recognised her. "First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye! It's really a very small world!" she said grinning and grabbed the blonde's arm. "How are you? I mean, after that someone killed your whole family and everything…"

She had always liked the calm woman who worked for her cousin because Jade had been always good in reading people and Roy was so much calmer than the first lieutenant was around. Lynn who had been Jade's friend, maybe her best, had said that Roy had been engaged to his aide but Jade had never asked because if he had been and messed up, she would yell at him. And she hated it when she had to yell at him because she hated it to be the bad girl – even if she was born to be badass.

"Not my whole family," the blonde replied with a little smile. "I am fine, madam."

"Call me Jade," the state alchemist said. "And we should go out tonight! Honestly, girl, you could do so much better than my stupid cousin! What's about the blond guy who used to work for Roy? This Jean Chaos person … I always thought that he was good-looking…"

"Paralysed and not my type at all," Riza said with a little smile. It was impossible to dislike Jade.

"Even better!" Jade said and dragged her down the hallway. "I mean, I am sorry for him, of course, but if there is really no one in your life, we can go out and flirt with everyone! C'mon, girl, you have just one life to live! Let's celebrate that we are still alive tonight!"

"I would love to go out but the Fuhrer is keeping me in the office until midnight," Riza sighed.

Jade pouted before she looked at the big door at the end of the corridor. "I have a meeting with him now and I will tell him that we have to go out tonight to honour our fallen comrades…"

"He will never allow me to leave," the lieutenant muttered. "He didn't let me go when I wanted to attend a ballet recital … or the piano audition last week!"

Jade was no fool. She could see that there was more than the strange transfer what troubled Riza. There was more to it and even if she wasn't a nosy person, she would take every chance to reveal the secret. She hadn't been in Ishbal and she had been healthy enough to realise that no one had ever spoken of Kay's child after the day the red-haired woman had left the country. Most of the others had been dealing with their nightmares and their guilt from the war. But Jade had been perfectly fine. She had had all the sleep she needed at night – and she remembered that Kay hadn't been pregnant when she and Charles had left for Aerugo. The question was: where is the child? (Kay had been so sure that it was a girl.) Jade had never had an answer. Now, she saw even clearer than before. It had been obvious, all these years. Kay had always put her faith in one sole person: her younger cousin Riza. So, if the child had lived, Riza would be the guardian.

"So … tell me," Jade said with a little smile. "Was it really a girl? Kay's child, I mean…"

Riza froze. "I believe that you are the only one despite the deceased who remember," she said.

"Well, I am the only one with a brain," the dark-haired woman grinned. "Honestly, Roy is too much of a jerk to organise his love life properly. My dearest brother Phil is still pouting because Serena chose that Buccaneer-guy over him. And I was Lynn's roommate at the academy…" she shrugged. "Furthermore, I graduated in investigations…"

Riza was able to recognise a threat when she heard it. Jade Mustang wouldn't rest until all the dirty little secrets would be out … and seeing that Jade was Chris Mustang's niece; it was pretty likely that she would get all the support she needed. So, Riza had no choice. "Laila," she said after another soldier passed them. "Her name is Laila."

Jade's smirk widened. Whoever had dubbed Roy's smirk the careless-womaniser-smirk had been wrong. This smirk was the a-Mustang-is-mischievous-smirk and Jade had invented it even if most of the credit had gone to her cousin. "Smart girl," she said. "It would have been ugly if I had started a little investigation … so, you take care of her, I assume?"

Many soldiers had thought that Jade had gotten her decorations and her rank due to her cousin's reputation but many people who knew Jade knew that she had something what Roy lacked: common sense and logic. She was maybe not a better alchemist but many of her friends said that she was a little bit smarter.

Riza stopped again. "I know why the Fuhrer wants to keep you close," she muttered. "You are too smart for your own good, Jade. You should be careful; Lynn died because of it."

Jade's eyes shadowed with guilt. "She was an awesome friend," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I mean, I wouldn't be alive if she…"

The blonde's brown eyes mirrored the guilt. "Lynn saved all of us more than once," she stated.

The female lieutenant colonel nodded before she opened the door. "She was wonderful," she said before she looked at the Fuhrer himself.

"Mustang," Bradley said. "Back in uniform, I see. It's better that way … black never looked good on you, I may add. Well, you said that you wanted to talk to me?"

Jade nodded and smiled brightly at him. She couldn't stand him but her mother had taught her that a nice smile could move mountains. "Yes, sir," she said with a little bow. "I was wondering if you could let First Lieutenant Hawkeye leave now because I wanted to go out a little bit and when I asked her to join me, she said no because you are keeping her late in the office…"

"Is there something you and the lieutenant have to celebrate?"

Jade was a very talented liar and her smile stayed on her face. "Oh, we have nothing to celebrate, sir," she said. "We wanted just to have some drinks … maybe we will find two decent men and can have a nice time. Truth knows when I had my last date!"

She had mastered the oh-I-am-too-self obsessed-to-be-a-troublemaker-behaviour in her early childhood and to act like a crazy bitch was no big deal for her. And she was a brilliant actress.

Bradley smiled at the young woman before he looked at his personal aide. "Hawkeye, you and Breeze Soul are allowed to have an evening out but I expect you to come to work tomorrow – even if you should have a hangover."

Jade's smirk reappeared on her face. "Thank you very much, sir," she said before she grabbed Riza's arm and dragged her away. As soon as they stood in front of the building, Breeze Soul started to laugh. "That was an easy way out of paperwork," she grinned. "See you at seven in front of this new club, Riza. And don't forget to dress up a little bit."

* * *

When Roy came home, he noticed that black clothes were all over the floor. And yes, he knew who had decided to honour him with her constant presence. After all, there was just one woman in his family who wore just black when she wasn't at work. And before he could do anything to confirm himself, the princess of the Mustang-family decided to show herself. She wore a black dress which was much too short. Roy liked mini dresses and miniskirts but he didn't approve of his precious cousin wearing something like that. Of course, Jade looked stunning and he really wondered why she wasn't married by now but he wouldn't let her leave in that dress.

He inhaled before he flashed a forced smile in her direction. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I asked your former aide if she wanted to go out," Jade said nonchalant even if (or because) she knew that he wouldn't be happy to hear this. "And since the Pirate King and I are on very good terms since I was a nice little girl and wore the terrible uniform, I made him allowing her to go with me. Honestly, the poor girl needs a husband! Roy, why didn't you do something earlier?"

He glared at her. "Despite your beliefs, Jade, I am not responsible to organise – wait a second, you are going out with Hawkeye?" he asked as he finally realised.

"Yep," she smirked as she closed her necklace. "You know, unlike a cousin of mine I can stay silent when I am talking to the higher-ups, Roy. That's why I and Riza are going out tonight."

He glared at her. "Since when are you on first name basis with her?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who said that I should get more friends?" she asked with an adorable little pout. "And when I actually follow your advice, it's wrong again! You knew that I was Lynn's best friend, Roy! And Riza is pretty much like Lynn! I am not planning to replace Silver Star's friendship with the Hawk Eye's but Riza is so much like Lynn … I mean … I always thought that they are living behind a wall … and Riza is suffering more than Lynn…"

"And how do you know that, my dearest cousin? Did you look in the future again? Can you read her mind? Or are you plainly assuming something because it fits with your actual theory?"

Jade sighed and sat down on his couch. "Just because I am the only not-deceased person who can count and combine the facts, I am not crazy!" she hissed. "Well, I need to go!"

"You are not leaving my house in this dress!"

"What happened to 'When I am Fuhrer, the whole female stuff will wear miniskirts!'?"

"That's still part of my agenda but you will never go into public in such a tiny dress as long as I am alive!" he said. "Go and change, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang."

Her dark eyes narrowed. "I don't think that I will do this," she said. "And I am not sure if you will be able to exempt me from this crazy law you are planning, Roy. Honestly, it's just on your agenda because you want to see a certain blonde's legs again, isn't it?"

"No, it's an attempt to make it possible for the Ice Queen and Catalina to get a husband. I am just looking out for my female comrades," he lied. "Now – go and change!"

She stood her ground, as usual. "No," she said. "I like that dress and honestly, do you really think that something could happen to me as long as Riza is around?"


	8. Golden Girl, Ice Queen & Prince Charming

**Golden Girl, Ice Queen & Prince Charming**

* * *

The next time, Roy saw Jade, he tried to talk with her like nothing had ever happened. After so many years, they had gotten quite good at this game yet sometimes; she looked straight through him and everyone who knew her that this always meant trouble. "Yo, Miss Mustang!" he said cheerfully and wrapped one of his arms around her waist. "Listen, I am sure that you will be very interested in my news: your former commander is on her way to Central! Do you still remember the brilliant and scary Tigress of the West?"

His cousin started to laugh. "Oh yes," she stated with a bright smile. "And I am very sure that the people here in Central will understand very soon why it is not so bright to mess around with the great golden Tigress. It usually leads to heavy injuries or … death…"

"I never understood how Lieutenant General Grumman can stand her attitude all the time," Roy muttered as he handed her a lunchbox. "I mean, lieutenant general Llewellyn is scarier than our dearest Ice Queen, don't you agree, Jade?"

She glared at the pink lunchbox in her hand. "What is that, Roy -boy?" she sighed.

"As long as you are staying with me, I have to make sure that you get something healthy and good for your lunch," he replied. "Your mother would murder me if I would allow you to eat the rubbish they sell in the mess hall! You need something better than that!"

She opened it and frowned at him. "Half-burnt toast, Roy?" she asked and sighed. "Honestly, we will have to work on your cooking this evening – wait, I am working until midnight today. I am still not finished with my report on the last evaluation of state alchemists and if I don't get it done today, Bradley will most likely shorten me … most likely I would be a head shorter if I don't hand it in tomorrow morning…"

"You really became boring," he said. "Honestly, you _offered_ to write the report? Which idiots did you see? Grand and Armstrong?"

She smirked. "Oh, Flame and Fullmetal," she announced amused. "Well, I will see you at work – and please, change the colour of the lunchbox. The pink disturbs me a little bit…"

"I have a blue one," he told her with a grin. "Like in the good old days…"

* * *

Three days later, Laila's school was closed and the girl decided to visit her Uncle Jean in hospital. She had heard that the colonel had been already discharged – her mother had been muttering about him being a reckless fool – and she was sure that Jean was still in hospital. Her hair was neatly braided as she entered the building and her steps were firm. She had learned that she should always seem to be allowed to be at a place when she wasn't. Her shoes left hardly a sound on the floor and she hurried down the hallway.

"Young lady, what do you want here?" a male voice asked.

She looked up with her brightest smile. "I want to visit Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc," she said before she lowered her gaze. "I heard that he is still here, Doctor Knox."

"Yeah, room 124," the man said.

"Thank you very much – I didn't know where he is," she said and walked on. She was nearly there when the strange black-haired man ran into her again. This time, she just stared at him.

"Hello again, Miss Elizabeth," he said with a little bow. "Want to visit someone?"

She nodded. "No, I just wanted to get back a book I borrowed someone who is here," she said.

"Ah … well … I was visiting a subordinate … poor guy … attacked by his own girlfriend…"

"I hope he broke up with her," Laila said with a sigh. "Well, I believe I will see you around."

"Hey! That was my line!" he said.

"I believe that this is a common line when two people say goodbye," she replied.

He stopped. "Don't you have school or something like that?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No," she said. "It's some strange holiday which just exists in Central."

"Ah … yes, you said that you are not from here," he nodded. "I hope that you feel better than I."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?" she asked worried.

He sighed. "Let's cut it short – the Fuhrer stole me all my subordinates."

She pouted. "That's not nice," she said. "I mean … you need a good team, don't you? To take away your subordinates is like stealing all your equipment … can't you say something against it? I mean, it's surely not allowed to split up a whole team, is it?"

"I tried to protest but I fear that my most trusted subordinate could get punished."

"That is blackmailing," she said and looked at him with green eyes full of sympathy.

"Yes, it is," he nodded, "but no one cares. They think that I am too ambitious."

"My teacher says the same about me," she shrugged. "She is always on Selim's side … I guess that she hates me and my mother … stupid woman … calling me a fool in front of the others…"

He sat down and held his side. "I believe that we are on the same page today," he said.

She nodded and sat down beside him. "But it will be better one day," she said, ever the optimist. "Well, I will get my book. I wanted to visit the grave yard before the darkness can fall."

"Who do you want to visit?" he asked as she got back to her feet.

For a second, she stopped before she looked over her shoulder. "Someone I should have met when she was still alive," she said and left his field of view.

He sighed and went away before he made his way to the graveyard. In death, Kay and Charles had returned to Amestris. He had a bouquet of white roses with him and laid it down before he looked at the little, neat row of grave stones.  
Serena Hawkeye Hamilton; killed in action. (And to make it worse, her body hadn't been found yet which made it difficult to get the closure everyone needed.)  
Helena Hamilton Force; killed in action.  
Martin Force; killed in action.  
Kay Hawkeye Hamilton; murdered.  
Charles Mayer; murdered.  
It had taken less than a year to take them away. Fate was very cruel. He sighed. He had known them all; Serena who had been peaceful, Helena who had been calm, Martin who had always been joking around, Kay who had slapped him more than once and Charles who had lied to Master Hawkeye, effectively saving Roy's neck.

They had been friends even if he hadn't talked to them since the war.

"When I said, 'see you around', I didn't mean that you should stalk me, colonel," the girl called Elizabeth said as she put a huge bouquet of white lilies on Kay's grave before she took some to laid them down on the other graves. "What are you doing here?"

"They were my comrades," he said and sighed deeply before he frowned at her. "Nice flowers."

"I like them too," she replied. "I bought them before I came."

"Weren't they a little bit expensive?" he asked.

"I get more pocket money than a usual child because mommy knows that I don't waste it."

"And you spend your money on flowers for a grave?" he asked. It was strange for a little girl to understand the concept of death. He remembered the tears of the twins at Lynn's and Martin's funeral. They hadn't understood and he could still see how Riza and Maes had held them while they had cried. Yes, they had lost their parents and no one could understand how much that had to hurt and therefore he was angry and full of hatred whenever he thought of the person who had stolen Lynn and Martin from them. When he closed his eyes, he could still see their wedding. It had been a wonderful day in the summer and they had smiled. Kay hadn't been present but still, she had sent a wonderful smiled the whole day and Martin had looked so happy. Yes, Maes as Best Man hadn't been able to find the rings but Riza as Maid of Honour had been able to find them. It hadn't been perfect but it had been amazing nonetheless.

"Mommy was related to them," Elizabeth said. "And she told me the respect the sacrifice of them. She says that they were wonderful people and that they didn't deserve their fates. But … that is all. She never says why they didn't deserve it … she is just assuming that I understand it…"

"Your mother is military, right?" Roy asked as he sat down beside her. "You have to know that it is sometimes hard for us to talk about our comrades. They saved us and sometimes, we feel very helpless when one of them dies. I was personally very sure that Kay would outlive all of us. Yes, Ishbal was hard for her and yes, she left after the trouble with the mafia … but she was still there, in some crazy way. She was such a loyal and unfaltering character that I always thought that she would die protecting someone else … but I guess that Lynn was more than her than I thought."

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her legs. She was exceptionally tall for a five-year-old and she looked older, maybe like a small seven-year-old girl. Roy couldn't help but notice that she was always dressed neatly and that her braid was always perfect. He came to the conclusion that she had most likely a very sheltered and protected childhood with a family who cared for her. He couldn't imagine that his former commander, Lieutenant General Leroy Grumman, would allow that a member of his family to be unhappy. Hell, the crazy old man would fix everything if he could! And now, Roy sat beside a little girl who was obviously related to the lieutenant general – and therefore with his insane wife, Lieutenant General Llewellyn, as well.

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, mommy is in the military," she finally said. "As long as I can remember, she was always very busy but she always came home on time. Now, she is barely at home."

Roy looked at her. "You miss her, don't you?" he asked softly. He barely knew the girl but she was so sad and helpless that he wondered how her mommy could leave her behind.

"I miss the East," the girl said. "I was happier there, I believe. And mommy had more time for me. She was happier too, I believe. Nowadays she's always worried…"

"It's no fun to be a soldier nowadays," Roy said. "I am worried too."

"Everyone is worried," she said. "I met my great-grandparents last Saturday for lunch and even they were worried. But no one say what is going on. I hate that. When even great-grandmother is worried, something is really, really wrong! She even came to Central to talk with Bradley – and mommy says that she never came to Central before as long as she could avoid it somehow."

* * *

Meanwhile, dark clouds appeared above the Central Headquarter when a black car stopped in front of the building. A tall golden-haired woman with green eyes got out and walked into the main building like it was her own house. Every soldier who saw her, snapped into attention and she waved it away with an angry little huff. She had no sense for such nonsense and she loathed faked respect. She openly disrespected people who were not able to meet her high moral standards and she didn't hide it. Behind her were a blond man who looked like her and a blond woman with icy blue eyes.

Lieutenant General Charlotte Riza Llewellyn had made her appearance. Her escort consisted of a very unhappy Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong and a not happier Brigadier General Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn. The three blondes stopped in the entrance hall and Olivier looked at the older woman. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" she asked.

The female lieutenant general smiled a little bit. "I have more dirt on Bradley than anyone else in this country," she said, "and while I despise favouritism, I feel like I have to do something."

"Can't I take the responsibility, Aunt Charlotte?" Olivier sighed. "I mean, I hate Mustang but…"

"…you can't let me sacrificing everything, right? Oh, Liv, you became such a wonderful person over the years … I must say, Briggs is really good for you … or is it a certain major up at Briggs?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, _godmother_," Olivier replied but her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. "Honestly, Charlotte, what do you mean?"

The young man smirked as he caught up with them. "I believe that mama is still wondering why she saw you coming out of said major's room late at night when we were at Briggs last month," he said and his face showed nothing but innocence. For everyone who knew him, it was obvious that he loved the fact that he was making fun of Olivier. One rank wasn't much and he knew that she was no match for him as long as he had a gun. Like his mother and his niece, Bendix was a brilliant shooter and even if he had never applied for a sniper post, everyone knew that he could do it at any time because he was gifted.

"I wasn't in his room!" Olivier tried to defend herself.

"Nah, didn't your mother told you not to lie?" Charlotte smirked. "Both of us saw you, Liv. You can try to deny it but … well … I believe that my meeting with your mother is scheduled for next Friday…" she shrugged. "…and knowing Augusta, she will like to know with who you are making out, my _precious_ goddaughter…"

"If it wouldn't be illegal to kill a higher-up, your blood would stain the floor by now," Olivier muttered but Charlotte knew her too well. There was no way in hell that an Armstrong would ever kill a Llewellyn. Their families were too old, too powerful to extinguish each other. There weren't much of the old families anymore because they had disappeared over the years and Olivier knew that the Llewellyn-clan had always supported the Armstrong-family in time of need and war. It was unlikely that a member of the Llewellyn-clan would ever show something else than bravery in front of the enemy.

"Oh, I am aware of that, Liv," Charlotte said amused, "but don't forget that I am your only favourite godparent, right? It would make you very sad when I would die…"

Olivier huffed. "Still, what do you expect from your little visit, Llewellyn?" she asked. "I don't doubt that you have enough dirt on Bradley to make him promote the bookworm-girl who works for that insane lieutenant colonel to General but … Bradley is a sly fox…"

"So we've been told," Bendix said calmly. "It's just that I can't stand to know that Rize is unhappy. After Ishbal, I thought that there couldn't be anything worse for her … now she works for King Pirate of Amestris…" his green eyes narrowed. "I really want to scream."

His mother gently touched his shoulder. "I don't feel better about it than you do," she said and her voice was soft and loving. "Believe me, Benny; I never wanted that to happen. I know that you are suffering because of it and you really shouldn't be that annoyed. Look at your cousin; even Liv isn't that annoyed – and they took her away from her post … and her major…"

"Aunt Charlotte!" Olivier said angry. "Stop right now or I promise you, I will yell at you!"

"Oh…" Bendix laughed. "I always thought that you Armstrong-people were trustworthy and loyal! I am not sure how an Armstrong who yells at her godmother fits in this picture…"

"Better loyal and trustworthy than brave to the point of suicide!" she shot back. "Honestly, Ben, you are too much of a jerk to realise that all your bravery will get you killed one day! You are too courageous and brave for your own good!"

He smirked at her. "I believe you forgot that I am a very good-looking, handsome and smart man," he said. "C'mon, Liv, you can admit that you had a crush on me when we were kids…"

The Ice Queen blushed again. "I had never a crush on you, Bendix, because you are such a jerk!"

"I am truly hurt, Liv," he said. "I thought we were friends!"

She sighed before she elbowed him. "We **are** friends, Ben, but sometimes I just can't stand you because you are an idiot," she said. "C'mon, your mother won't wait for us."

"You know, you should have told me that you are dating the guy," Bendix said.

"We aren't dating, we are **married,"** she said and was pretty smug that she had won – for the first time she had been able to make Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn shut up. It was quite an accomplishment and she knew that she would grin at the memory as long as she lived.

But as soon as Bendix was able to speak again, he did something she had always hated. One of his strong arms was around her waist and he hugged her with all his strength – it was enough to make her loosing the ground beneath her feet. "Congratulation, Princess!" he grinned.

"Bendix, the correct nickname would be 'Ice Queen'," she sighed. "Not 'Snow Girl' and not 'Icy Princess'. If you don't stop calling me by those ridiculous names, I will kill you – and not even your mother will be able to stop me. Am I understood?"

He grinned. "You are aware that you just authorised me to call you Ice Queen in public?"

She glared at him. "Do that and believe me, I will make you suffer!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Charlotte had a nice talk with her favourite former suitor, Fuhrer King Bradley. She had rejected him with a few eloquent words, a slap and her lawyer – and by starting making out with her fiancé in public. (Well, that hadn't been the wisest idea ever but the scandal had been worth the face of the wonderful and amazing Fuhrer King Bradley.) Nowadays, Charlotte could speak with the most annoying man in whole Amestris without yelling at him, but still, she had no intention to become his little dog.

"Lieutenant General Llewellyn," Bradley said as he looked up to her. "You are beautiful as ever…"

"Shut up," she ordered as she sat down. "The office used to look much better than it belonged to my father," she added harshly. "Listen, Bradley. I know why you made my granddaughter your aide and believe me – I don't like it.  
I don't like it at all and I would love to kill you for hurting her. Still, I know that you won't give in since you never gave in until I had a gun on your head, right? So, my dearest Fuhrer, if you don't stop to mess with my family and my subordinates, I will tell the whole military about the failed mission eighteen years ago. I never wanted to tell anyone about it but I would assume that you are forcing me to do it, Bradley. When my father was Fuhrer, he never blackmailed his soldiers into silence. He was not perfect, I know that better than anyone else, but he loved his country … and he would never have ordered to annihilate Ishbal."

He stared at her. "You know that you are bluffing, Llewellyn," he whispered. "You would destroy yourself … there is no way that anyone would take you seriously afterwards…" he shook his head. "No, I know you better than that. If you would tell anyone that you were raped during that mission because I and Hakuro failed to take out the enemy, people would assume that you were too weak … and that you are not strong enough for your rank…"

She glared at him. "Don't you think that people would pity me while they would assume that you and Hakuro aren't good enough for your ranks since you even failed to take care of one single, _unarmed_ soldier under your command who was unarmed because of your orders?" she asked. "Or they could even start to ask why you didn't save me. They could assume that you were trying to get rid of a rival…"

He glared back at her. "You know, Llewellyn, I was always wondering how you could get such a high rank in such a young age," he said, "but now I see why. You are willing to risk everything for the sake of your carrier, wouldn't you? You risk your and your husband's reputation … if you really go far enough and reveal why you weren't fit for duty for a month, people will wonder why he stayed with you." He raised an eyebrow. "The people will assume that it was your fault."

"Honestly, Bradley, if I had ever cared about other people's opinion on me, I would have married you," she smiled. "But I preferred a life with the man I love – and he happens to be the man who loves me for me and not for my name or my beauty. Yes, I know that you and Hakuro are still staring at me and I would be happier if you could stop. I am married and have three children, for crying out loud! And my marriage is very happy, got it?"

"Didn't die your eldest daughter some years ago?" he smirked. "Are you sure that you were a good mother for her? What was her name? Elizabeth? Yes, I believe that it was this name. It was a pretty girl … such a shame that you failed her, Llewellyn…"

Her fist slammed down on the desk. "At least, I can't say that I failed my country," she said. "I may have failed her but I loved her and she knew it. Ben loved her. Leroy loved her. Jeanne loved her. All of us loved her, Bradley, and she knew. She decided to marry a man we didn't approve of. And you are hardly the right person to accuse me of being a bad mother, **sir,**" she spat venomously. "At least, I care for my people – something I can't say of you!"

"Honestly, Llewellyn, do you think that I would care?" he smirked. "Fine, you won that round. I will transfer your little girl back to the idiot … but I will most likely kill Miss Armstrong. You know, Equivalent Exchange and everything … I can't have you defeat me without a price…"

Her hand lashed out before it was connected once more with his cheek. "You bastard!" she cursed and slapped him again. "I hate you, King Bradley; I hate no one more than I hate you! You are nothing more than a bastard who deserves hell more than anyone else!"

"There, there, Miss Llewellyn, no need to be that rude," he smiled. "Did you honestly think that it would be that easy to defeat me? How dumb to believe that you could beat me…"

She trembled in anger before she turned around. "This was not the last word, Bradley!" she hissed. "You may have escaped this time but I will be back and one day, there will be nowhere you could turn. And this day, I will be there and laugh at you…"


	9. An essay about Xerxes and warm ice

**An essay about Xerxes and warm ice**

* * *

Three weeks later, Roy met 'Elizabeth' again. She was hurrying down a street and carried a bag with heavy books. She looked like Riza then his aide had been younger and he sighed. Thinking about her wouldn't make anything easier. It would make everything more complicated since the homunculi already knew that she was important to him. Still, he stopped and smiled down at the little girl. "Hey, Eliza," he said. "How are you today?"

She raised her head to look at him. "I am fine, sir," she said friendly. "How are you?"

"Not so good," he said. "I have stress at work."

"That's too bad," she said. "Well, mommy comes home late at night. Her stupid new superior keeps her late into the office. I am basically living at my own … and I don't like it…"

"I am sorry to hear that," he sighed and peeked into her bag. "Books on alchemy, Eliza?"

"Yeah, we have some at home but they aren't so great … they belonged to my grandfather and he studied element alchemy … I am not so interested, to be honest. I prefer biologic alchemy."

"Aren't you a little bit young to read books like that?" Roy asked.

"I turn six next year and I have nothing else to do, sir. School is easy and I am bored easily."

"You could practice sport or play more … piano…"

"I am dancing and I practice two hours each day," she said. "Well, I don't want to be rude but I need to go home. I have to write three pages on Xerxes until tomorrow and Mrs Miller will kill me if I don't do it … I just hope that I find the right books."

"Books about Xerxes are hard to find from what I heard," Roy said. "Did you choose the topic?"

She shook her head. "My teacher hates me," she said, "and I am sure that she tries to find a way to ruin my perfect marks … she is just afraid of the Fuhrer … afraid that the stupid pirate will kill her when someone else than his precious son has the best marks…"

Roy smirked. "Calling the Fuhrer a stupid pirate can get you in trouble," he said, "but I believe that you are right. So, Selim Bradley is in your class? How is he?"

"Smart … but not as smart as me. Arrogant … and he always talks about his father … he says that Fuhrer Bradley was a wonderful commander … I don't see it that way … I read a book about the Ishbalan Civil War … that wasn't a fair fight … that was a massacre," she said while she walked on. "Great-grandfather Grumman would have been able to solve the problem alone … it was wrong to use the Human Weapons … mommy says the same…"

"Your mother was in Ishbal?" Roy asked. "And you're the great-granddaughter of Grumman?"

She nodded. "Yes, she was," she sighed. "Mommy still suffers from it … that's why I will never agree with Selim … and why I will beat him in every test…" She shuddered. "I don't like him."

"What do you mean?" Roy asked while they walked down the street. He had forgotten whatever he wanted to do during his break. "Does he bully you?"

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. "He is … scary," she said and hesitated a little bit. "I mean, he is polite and everything but … I have a bad feeling around him. I feel cold … and like I could never be happy again … the others don't notice it but … he is strange. I mean, of course, he is the Fuhrer's adopted son but … he looks at me like he wants to kill me."

Roy couldn't help but think that this was probably Selim's intention. "Listen, Eliza, I want you to stay away from him," he said. "One of my former subordinates told me the same … there is something strange about the boy … and you are probably right about him. It can be that he really wants to kill you. I don't want to scare you … but he attacked my former aide some days ago. It would be probably the best for you to change the class or something … can't you talk with the teacher that you can study with the students of the grade above you? I have a bad feeling about Selim and you … this is a dangerous mixture if you ask me… like oxygen and fire…"

And there was a reason why he counted on Jade and Phil to strengthen his flame when the time would come. They had tried it just once before and the result had been impressive enough to make their aunts stare at them like they were completely crazy which they probably were because no sane person would call their project a great step for the research of element alchemy.

"That bad?" her green eyes betrayed her fear. "I could maybe ask my teacher … but I am already three grades ahead the other pupils of my age … but … what if I don't know enough? Mommy will be upset if I fail at school … she used to check my homework before she had a new boss… and now, she hasn't the time to help me anymore … that makes me angry."

"And your father? Can't he help you?" Roy asked. They had nearly reached the State Library.

She sighed. "I have no father," she said. "I am adopted, sir. It's just me and mommy. My parents are dead. I stay with my mommy since I was born. She and my mother were best friends and comrades during the war … and mommy says that my mother had to leave the country."

Roy nodded slowly. "I am an orphan, too," he said and stopped right in front of the building before he checked the time. "If you want to, I can help you with your homework. I should be at work but I have nothing to do right now. I could help you with your essay … and you could even use some of the books which aren't allowed to be read by a usual civil member of our society."

She sighed before she looked at her own watch. "I believe that this would be a good idea," she said and smiled brightly at him. "But I really don't want that you get in trouble because of me. It wouldn't be worth your job, Mr Colonel. But since you offered me your help, I would be a fool to decline. And mommy will be at work until midnight, so I can't ask her for help."

"I believe I told you to call me Roy, didn't I?" he asked before he led her into the building.

She nodded. "Yes, but the first names of adults are too special to be used by a child," she said. "Just friends are allowed to use these names. The name of a child isn't that special."

He frowned. "You are a very odd child," he sighed before he extended his hand. "So, Miss Grumman, why don't we say that we are friends? Didn't you tell me that no one want to be your friend at school? I could be your friend…"

"But friends help each other," she said. "And I can't help you. I am just a child."

"There is something you could do for me … I need someone to get a letter," he said. "And I can't send it with the post because … well … my letters are controlled."

She nodded while they passed the entrance hall. "For who is the letter?" she asked and pushed her golden hair back behind her ears. "I guess that no one will suspect a five-year-old to help a colonel of the army," she stated and her smile became calculating. "I can do it…"

"You know that it will get you in danger?" he asked, suddenly worried.

"Believe me, they are already worried because of my mommy," she replied. "And I am a good liar. My great-grandfather was a good teacher."

The duo entered a little room and Roy watched how the girl stared at the books. She seemed to be very fascinated and he couldn't help but smirk. He took a book and sat down next to Elizabeth who read her notes. He had to admit that her familiar handwriting was much neater than his would ever be. They were working in silence since Elizabeth was like Riza and not very talkative when she could avoid it but sometimes, Elizabeth would ask a question. Roy had to admire her capability to work that hard without complaining. Her pen danced across the paper before she stopped to frown. "How do I write in a polite way that I dislike the topic without making my teacher mad?" she asked.

Roy shrugged. "I never bothered to be polite," he admitted.

"Can I write that I would have preferred to write something about the culture of Creta?"

"I guess that will do," he smiled. "Can I … eh … help you with the formulation?"

It had been a long time since he had helped his cousins with their homework but it had always been very funny to see how much little children enjoyed the attention.

"Of course!" she grinned. "Great-uncle Ben is always helping me too when he is around…"

"Brigadier General Llewellyn?" Roy asked interested. The man was half a year younger than him but he already outranked him due to his heroism and his ability of doing paperwork without any complains. Roy really envied him for this skill because both Lieutenant General Grumman and First Lieutenant Hawkeye had always told him to be more than 'Prince Charming'.

"Yes, that is my great-uncle!" Elizabeth beamed at him. "He is funny and nice – and he cooks much better pasta than Grandmother Charlotte or mommy! And he always gives me sweets!"

Roy smiled at her. For such a little girl, she knew very well what she wanted. "I heard that Mrs and Young Mister Llewellyn are saving the reputation of Western food," he said.

"They are!" she laughed. "Uncle Ben makes the best chocolate in the world! He always gives me a little package when mommy's not looking because she thinks that it would be bad for me."

"I like chocolate too," he grinned. "Well, I will help you now if you don't mind. What do you think about this, Eliza? _'Even if Xerxes possessed one of the most advanced cultures and our alchemy came from this place in the desert, I would have preferred to write about a topic like the Cretan Ballet between 1870 and today'_," he suggested. "You will probably get the topic for your next essay but I am sure that you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"You're right; I wouldn't mind," she nodded. "Can I ask you something personal, Mr Roy?"

"You can ask whatever you want to ask but maybe I won't answer."

She looked straight into his eyes. "Why aren't you married?"

He sighed deeply but he decided that he would humour her by telling the truth. "I made a very bad mistake," he said with a hint of guilt and sadness in his voice. "I wanted to marry but I let her get away because I was a coward … I still regret it … and probably, I will never stop to."

Elizabeth looked at him with eyes filled with sympathy. "Was she … beautiful?" she asked.

"She is beautiful," he said with a little smile. "But she is also a wonderful person…"

"Personality matters more than the looks."

"Exactly," he smiled. "What about your mommy?"

"She … I don't know … one of my uncles said that she was engaged at one point but I believe that her fiancé died or something. One time, she came home crying … and even days afterwards, she wasn't the same like before … one of her comrades got in trouble … I think she blamed herself."

"No man in her life?"

"She hasn't the time. She is always at work and when she's at home, she spends her time with me. And whoever wants to marry mommy, needs my approval before!"

"Ah … you are really a good daughter for your mommy," Roy smiled. "Well, shall I check the spelling for you? We can't have your teacher bully you for something that ridiculous."

"That would be great." She smiled at him. "Have you the letter?"

He nodded and passed her the white envelope. "Do you know where it is?"

She raised an eyebrow. _"For Her Excellency, The Ice Queen, Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong, 12th alley, Central City?"_

"She will know that I am sending you," he smirked.

"Shall I go as fast as possible?"

"You seem to be in a hurry today."

"My ballet class has a presentation today."

"You don't seem happy."

"Why should I?" she asked. "It will be frustrating. All the other girls will have their parents there to support them. I don't need mommy there and I can accept that she can't be there because she has to work … but sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to have a normal life."

"I don't know," Roy said sadly. "I wish I knew."

"Me too." She closed her coat and smiled at him. "Well, see you around."

"Yes," he said with a little smiled. "Try to stay alive."

She left and like always, he wondered if the older Miss Grumman would be as friendly as her daughter. He didn't doubt it. After all, children were usually like their parents. Suddenly, an even brighter smile appeared on his face and he grabbed his things before he left the library.

* * *

"Miss Olivier, there is someone who wants to see you," the servant said. "She says, her name was Elizabeth Grumman…"

Olivier frowned before she got up from her bed where she had been reading a book Bendix had bought her for her last birthday. Her long hair was like a veil when she rushed down the stairs to the entrance hall. For a second, she stopped to look at the girl and smiled. Yes, this girl was a worthy heir of the two old houses, Llewellyn and Grumman. Golden hair, green eyes, pale skin – and a burning determination … trademarks of whose who were heirs of the both houses. Olivier walked down the last three steps and smiled at the girl. "You wanted to see me?" she asked while she thought that this girl should have been her, many years ago. She never told anyone but she had always preferred her tough and strong grandmother over her soft and nice mother. There was no doubt in the head of any soldier that Charlotte Llewellyn could break a man's hand with a little finger. And this girl was so … so _Charlotte_.

"Yes, Miss Armstrong – or is it Major General Armstrong, madam?" the girl looked up to her.

"Olivier is fine," the Ice Queen said. "You look like Ben…"

"Thank you?" the girl offered weakly. "Well, someone gave me this letter and told me to give it to you – personally. I am sorry to disturb you."

"No need to be so shy, little Laila. Your uncle Ben and I were great friends in our childhood – and we still are," Olivier said as she took the letter. She read it and sighed. "Just eight hinted insults on my 'icy attitude'? The guy is getting boring…"

"Maybe he is getting polite, Miss Olivier."

"You are really a funny and wonderful person, Laila," Olivier smiled. "Riza made a good job. You seem to be a very smart girl, _Elizabeth_. It was right to give the servant your wrong name."

"You knew who I am?" Laila looked at her in a very confused way.

"Of course … your uncle Ben is my cousin after all." Olivier smiled back at her. "Tea?"

Laila nodded and the Ice Queen herself took her hand and let her up the stairs to her room. "I am sorry for the mess," she apologised, "but I didn't expect any guests … and Ben never minded the little chaos in my room when he came over … ah … it was a great time when our fathers were still stationed here in Central. Now my father retired some years ago and Uncle Leroy is dealing with the mess Central made in the Eastern Area … high command is nothing more than rubbish."

Laila looked around. "I like your room, Miss Olivier," she said and smiled at her. "It looks used and shows that you come home at decent hours…"

The Ice Queen swallowed. "You are worried because of your mommy, aren't you?" she asked before she wrapped one of her strong arms around the little girl. "I can understand why. I would be worried too if I was in your place."

"I am so afraid that she might die…" Laila whispered. "I have just her…"

"You didn't cry, right?" the blond woman asked. "So, you can cry now. I am here and I have my sword under my pillow … and a gun under my nightstand. If someone dares to laugh about you, I will kill him or her personally. And I will be there for you."

* * *

Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn met his niece in the entrance hall of the building. "You don't look good, sweetheart," he said.

"I don't feel good either," she replied with a frown.

"Poor Hawk…"

"Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn…"

"Riza Grumman Hawkeye…"

"…you are a complete jerk!"

"…you are hurting my feelings!"

"And that was exactly my goal." She sighed. "Laila will kill me."

"Because you can't attend her show tonight, little hawk?"

"Yes. She seemed to be very upset about that."

"I'll go for you. Mama won't mind."

"You know that you are supposed to meet her for dinner."

"I'll tell her that I and Oliver are going out tonight," he said with a little smirk. "It has been years since I dragged the Snow Princess to such a show and I kinda missed her glare. Believe me, Riza, most of the pranks I pulled on her were supposed to make her glare at me."


	10. The Magic of a Dance

**The magic of a dance**

* * *

Roy saw Olivier and her blond-haired escort as he entered the foyer. The Ice Queen wore a black dress which covered most of her body and she had left her sword at home which was quite a shock to him. She had wrapped one arm around her friend's waist and seemed to laugh about his joke. He wore an expensive black tuxedo with a light blue shirt made of silk and a tie made of sapphire silk. His golden hair was combed back and the little bulge at his sides showed Roy that this man was carried a gun. He stayed in the shadows of the pillars and tried to listen.

"…It has been a while that you dragged me into a ballet," Olivier laughed. "Honestly, Ben, with you, I make more crazy things than Alex and Catherine together! You have seriously a very bad influence on me!"

"Well, since Elizabeth's mother can't be here tonight, someone has to fill in for her … and who if not I, Miss Armstrong? We are a gorgeous couple after all…" He smirked. "And Mother said that I should make sure that you enjoy your time in Central. That's why I invited you."

"If here are any guys from the military, my reputation will be destroyed!" Olivier complained.

"Don't worry, princess," he said. "I guess that no one would believe that you would ever attend such an event, Olivier. And I would always claim that you weren't here with me. My own reputation as the hottest guy that side of Central would be forever damaged if I was seen with you – no offence intended, as usual." He led her down a hallway. "And Eliza needs a fan…"

"Last time I checked, she had a bunch of fans," the female major general smirked. "And most of them were male … don't look at me that way – you're the one running around and showing everyone your perfect little girl."

"Buccaneer needed to see something nice, so I showed him the newest pictures of my favourite girls. What can I say? I am cursed with a sweet little grand-niece and a beautiful niece! I need to share my happiness with everyone else!" the blond man exclaimed. "And before you can ask, Liv, I will give you a collection of my favourite pictures when you turn twenty-eight…"

"If you want to die, write an article for the Central Times about my birthday, Prince."

"Ouch, Liv! We are friend, in case that you forgot!" Bendix Llewellyn laughed. "You need to be nice and friendly because I was always the one you called when you were angry…" He wrapped one of his arms around her waist. "And we went through academy side by side…"

Roy had heard of the golden-haired wonder boy of Western Headquarters. He and his _friend_ (if she would actually have friends, that it was) Olivier had been the best cadets of their year and started their carriers both at the rank of a First Lieutenant before they had earned more promotions than anyone else in that short amount of time. Some said that it was because of their powerful parents but there was no way in hell that the former General Armstrong and his old friends, Leroy Grumman and Charlotte Llewellyn, could have pushed their children that far. There was a reason why Roy wasn't one of Bendix' fans. The blond man was way too popular with the women. And he didn't know that there was a reason why no soldier ever flirted with First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. Roy had been furious when he had been the both blond soldiers at lunch and he had been close to frying Bendix when he had dared to touch Riza's hair.

Roy found a good place close to the stage and took out the camera he had borrowed from Maes.

* * *

"You are embarrassing me again, Prince Charming," Olivier hissed while she took place next to her oldest and most trusted friend. "Really, Ben, why did you drag me here? Why didn't you ask Lieutenant Colonel Mustang? She is a pretty girl and a far better officer than her cousin – even if she has sometimes a terrible work ethic."

"Not everyone can be a dedicated and hard-working officer without any known ambition which would it make unlikely for our dear and lovely higher-ups to promote me to ranks I will never deserve … the only advantage is that I can fill in for mama in most of the meetings … that is why I stayed in Central while she travelled to the East to visit Dad," he grinned. "Ah, c'mon, girl, and enjoy the evening. I will even listen to your stories about Briggs if you pay attention."

She smiled at him. "Prince Charming, you are really an amazing and funny person," she said, "and of all people who live in Central City, you are the only one I really want to spend my time with."

"Ah, don't say something that nice to me, Armstrong," he chuckled. "I will wonder what you need. Maybe a tank or something? I have a friend who has everything you would need to build one. I would be happy to pass you the contact – especially if it would mean to get out of this whole Promised-Day-insanity. You know that I hate the idea of using violence against innocents."

"I know, Benny, but there will be no other way for us to win the game," she sighed and looked at him in a really worried way. "I will try to keep the bloodshed on a minimum but we will need all our power if we want to win against these insane and murdering old men! I would love to stab Bradley right now … your mother was a little bit too controlled to get over with it."

"She said that she was close to shooting him right there but she didn't do it because she thought that it isn't her place anymore. She works against him and his buddies ever since her father was killed … I believe that she wishes an end … the sooner the better."

Olivier nodded and laid her hand on his arm. "I understand, Prince Charming," she grinned. "The Golden Girl lost her patience and wishes that we remove the Pirate King soon from his power."

"You are truly the only person out there who can speak about treason in the same way Riza used to read bedtime stories for Laila," Bendix chuckled. "Ah … the good old times when Mama used to read for both of us … I sometimes really miss her motherly side…"

"You are more than twenty years old, Llewellyn!" she hissed at him. "You don't need your bedtime stories any longer – and if you would still need them, I would be greatly terrified…"

"As soon as everything is over, Liv, will you read a bedtime story to me?" he smirked.

"Prince Charming, shut up."

* * *

In the backstage area, Laila sat on a chair and checked the bindings of her shoes before she looked in the mirror once again. She liked her reflection. Her golden hair was up in a perfect bun and she wore a white dress. Even if she was the youngest dancer of the class, she was the most talented. For her, it was a way to scream out all her worries, all her pain – everything she wanted to say. She suffered silently. It was painful for the girl to watch how her beloved mommy had started to fade away. For her, it was wrong. Her mommy was supposed to be strong but even the great Riza Hawkeye became weaker then she didn't get enough sleep. Laila knew and she wanted to tell the villain – a pretty word for a bad man – that he should leave her mommy alone because Laila needed her mommy at her side … and she wanted to throw a fit at everything. She also hated the lies she had to tell day after day.

When she danced, she forgot everything. Her breath was slower and she was at ease. She wasn't judged for her name – her great-grandfather's name. She was judged for the lightness of her steps and for the elegance she possessed when she let go of everything. Her dance never lacked the expression. Her dance was powerful and showed the world that the old house of the Hawkeye's was not beaten yet. They would shine once again in the future.

"Eliza – three minutes," her teacher said with a smile. "Show them what ballet is about."

Laila nodded and closed her eyes before she stretched her small and petite body before she looked at the reflection for the last time before she made her way to the stage. She would dance her solo first because her teacher had been so satisfied with her work. Laila was a perfectionist. Whatever she did, she would work on it until she was happy with it. Maybe it was her grandfather's inheritance because Master Berthold Hawkeye had been a perfectionist as well.

She inhaled deeply before the light went on. In her head, the whole performance was played backwards and when the music started, she threw all her burdens away and spread her wings to fly. For her, dancing was pure freedom … or maybe even magic. To let go of everything what bound her to earth was difficult but finally, Laila Elizabeth Grumman Hawkeye disappeared in the music and a new girl was born. The new girl was free, no sorrows slowed her down, and no fear shadowed her young face. The new girl was Liz how the other girls called her. Liz was an amazing dancer who never doubted herself. Liz was strong. Liz was untouchable because her steps were full of energy. Liz was the person Laila wanted to be, deep down in her soul, because Liz had nothing to do with all the secrets which surrounded Laila. Liz was free and happy.

The magic of dance and music lured Laila into the abyss of happiness. Her golden hair was her crown and the other dancers who filled the stage step by step were her servants.

* * *

Roy was impressed. The not-so-shy-as-she-seemed girl who always was flustered when someone dared to compliment her was gone and the self-confident and happy side had stayed. He had been sure that Elizabeth would be amazing because she had mentioned how hard she had practiced for this day since weeks but she surprised him still. She was at ease. He had been a little bit worried because he had been sure that she was burdened due to her family and the nearly famous arguments between Charlotte Llewellyn and King Bradley but it seemed like she had found a way to forget all the pressure and everything.

For a second, he looked in Olivier's direction and was surprised when he saw her smile and the nearly loving and caring expression on her pale face. This woman looked like it was her own daughter who was dancing like she had never done anything else – like walking or running. The young man next to her looked smug since it was his grand-niece who was flying across the stage.

The music was soft and even if Roy usually despised the ballet because the ballerinas were usually a gang of jealous and brainless girls without any proper education, he had to admit that he actually enjoyed the show. _'Hmh … probably I should allow Maes to find a wife for me…'_ he thought. _'Maybe we would have a daughter … or maybe I should hurry up, defeat Bradley and ask Riza to marry me again … we could have a daughter and we could be like the insane parents who adore their daughters like they had just invented the wheel or something equally useful…'_

At the same time, Roy decided that he hated over-ambitious mothers. There was a brunette woman in the first row who kept talking bad about Elizabeth. He was tempted to fry her but he remembered that any misbehaviour of his would most likely kill Riza – and he couldn't allow that. So he stayed silent while he got angrier with every passing second. Elizabeth did a great job up there on the stage and she deserved to dance the most important role. Roy didn't know much about ballet because Jade had never allowed him to watch her while she practiced but he could recognise a gifted dancer when he saw one … and it wasn't that surprising after all. Charlotte Llewellyn had been famous many years ago and Elizabeth had obviously inherited her great-grandmother's talent. Elizabeth had the right feeling for the music and she could tell a story with her movements while all the other girls danced without the passion and the love for the dance.

"…alright, you were right, Ben," Olivier muttered somewhere behind him. "Lizzie is probably the best dancer in whole Amestris since Aunt Charlotte injured her knee. I am quite happy that you blackmailed me into tagging along. It would have been a shame to miss this show…"

"Her mother will be so disappointed," Brigadier General Llewellyn sighed. "She wanted to attend this time since she missed already Lizzie's piano recital but her bastard of a boss didn't allow her to attend her own daughter's show! And at the same time, he tries to be present whenever Selim harasses the public with his terrible violin play. Honestly, Liz is much younger and I bet that she would play the violin better than Selim if she would practice for three weeks or something…"

"Of course she would!" Olivier agreed. "This girl is gifted for crying out loud! When your niece has her next birthday, I will make Alex transmute a little statue of Liz. I am sure that she would enjoy something like that. I mean … every woman would worship her daughter…"

"Well … I wait to become godfather of your child, Snowflake," Bendix chuckled. "I mean, didn't we had a deal? That I would be godfather of your first child and you godmother of mine?"

"Yes … and it made quite clear that I would never marry you."


	11. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

* * *

Roy knew the sound: somewhere a person was shooting at someone else.

He started to run while he slipped on his white gloves. It was close, maybe in the alley next to the hall where the ballet show had taken place. He came around a corner and nearly tripped as he saw Elizabeth in the entrance of a house. Her green eyes were opened in fear and she trembled.

"Hey, Eliza," he said and gulped. "You danced really good-" He jumped into the very same entry when a bullet came dangerously close to his left ear. "What the hell is going on?"

"I would guess that the serial killer out there is trying to kill you," she stated with a shrug. "It is more or less common knowledge which ways the high-ranking officers use frequently – and you fit perfectly in the scheme of our dearest killer."

Roy didn't bother to ask her how she knew about the killer because well, after all, she was born into a military family. He remembered the old fame of the Grumman-Llewellyn-family, the photos and the glory the Western Campaign had brought over the matriarch and her husband. It was likely that every member of this family knew exactly how the military worked. So he just nodded and smiled. "Any idea, Miss Grumman?" he asked. "I am sure that I could walk through this inferno but … I am not sure if I could take you with me … and I won't leave you behind."

"We won't be able to escape," Elizabeth replied. "If we leave now, we will run straight in the crossfire and we could be hit." She frowned. "We will have to wait, I guess. Uncle Ben and his friend will take this way too and I am sure that he will be able to help us."

* * *

Meanwhile, Bendix and Olivier were running. They had heard the shooting and since they could estimate where it was, they knew that it was on Laila's way back home. Olivier wore high heels but she could still keep up with her best friend who had already his own gun in his hand. Olivier had hidden her own guns under her dress and while she was running, she was able to get one of them. She inhaled deeply before she stopped behind Ben at the corner.

"Optimal distance for me and my new gun," Prince Charming smirked. "I really owe Rize for buying me such a great gun for my birthday. It is the best gun I ever had…"

Princess Snowflake sighed. "What is it with your family and your obsession with guns?" she asked. "Your mother gave you your first gun as a birthday present … alright, I got my sword as a birthday present too but that was after my graduation…"

"Mama just wanted to make sure that I can take care of myself … I mean, Elizabeth died three years before and Mama was really depressed afterwards…" Ben sighed before he inhaled. "Let's show them how fearless Prince Charming and his beloved best friend, Princess Snowflake, can fight when they see any kind of danger…"

She stopped in her movements for the tiniest part of a second before she started to laugh. "We need to change the old nicknames when everything is over," she stated. "Alright, I may have the higher rank but I will keep your back safe, alright? We need to take this guy out before he can hurt another soldier of our great military."

"The sarcasm in your voice is really honey for my ears," he laughed. "Ready, Liv?"

"Of course, Benny," she said and raised her gun. "I will count to three … one … two …"

A single shot rang out before the both generals could even correct their aim. The man on the other side of the alley tumbled before he went down. Bendix inhaled before he looked over his shoulder for the tiniest part of a second. The woman who held her gun still in position was as blond as he and Laila and her eyes were covered with her bangs. She slowly lowered her gun and a thin smile appeared on her face. "I am sorry for interrupting, Ben, Olivier, but such situation calls a professional sniper," she said calmly. "I hope that I didn't scare you too much."

* * *

Roy heard the calm voice and noticed how Elizabeth started to relax before she grinned at him and ran out of the entrance to throw herself into the gunwoman's arms.

"Are you okay, Lizzie?" Olivier asked carefully before she stroked the girl's hair. "It's always bad to see something like that for the first time. Ben and I were in panic afterwards."

Her escort laughed and wrapped his arm around her. "It wasn't that bad."

"I am fine, mommy," Elizabeth said and buried her face into her mother's neck. "I really am. And the show was great! I really enjoyed it! I need to call Grandmother Charlotte when we come home! She will be so proud."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade felt like her whole world was breaking down around her.

She read the letter again and again but it didn't change.

* * *

_Dear Jade,_  
_It's me, your one and only twin, Phil. I know that I promised you that I would come to Central as soon as possible but you have to understand that there are troubles in the Western Area right now. I know that you won't know it already because I overheard General Hakuro saying that they don't want to worry the other soldiers. It's war down here, Jade. I met one of Roy's old friends yesterday and they sent him to a place where he has excellent chances to get killed – I hope you noticed that I am being sarcastic. My dearest sister, I ask you to stay in Central – because even if there are intrigues and corruption something normal, you are safe there – and your safety is everything what matters to me right now. I don't need you to come back. Stay at Roy's side. He will need someone to push him back to the right path if he strays. I don't hope that you will have to blackmail him again, Jade, but I feel better as long as I know that you are safe. We are twins after all. I can't see you in danger, Jade. So, be a good girl for your little brother and stay home at night. I don't want to see you dead._

_Crap! I just read the letter again and I sound like a spoiled child! I sound like I just care for myself – and that is not true, honestly. I care for you because you are my sister and because I will never bear to lose you. We are twins. There was never a time when we weren't together. We walked through the storm to become stronger and we fought always side on side or back to back. You are too much like me, Jade … but still … you will always be the better one. You are loyal and your faith in me and our cousin is … amazing. You know that I will always love you, big sister, for you were always at my side when I needed help … and for you always knew when I was in trouble. You are the most important person to me because you are the only one who always knows what I am feeling when I see how a comrade falls down and doesn't get up again. You can relate to my pain because you share my beliefs and my emotions. Mama always said that we were born from the same flame and that this flame still burns inside our hearts. Let's stay strong, Jade, let's walk through the rain of tears and let's become who we were supposed to be from the very beginning._

_It's maybe the sappiest thing you ever heard from me but … you are the wind beneath my sails._

_I hope that you are fine and that Roy doesn't annoy you – Phil Mustang_

* * *

She hit her pillow, anger running through her body … but it was cold anger … like everything about her was cold and sharp. She looked at her reflection. She lacked the expression her cousin and her idiot of a twin possessed. She was like a doll. Perfect outer appearance but no soul, no goal, no nothing. Jade Mustang was nothing more than a perfect soldier, a perfect pawn. She had almost never questioned her orders because she had put her trust and her faith in her wonderful commander, Lieutenant General Llewellyn. There was no logical reason to question her because she was a good and noble woman who wanted nothing more than a peaceful country. Jade had always been the ice to Phil's and Roy's inner fire. She was calm and collected, almost never out of line. Her heart was full of love for everyone but she couldn't live like she wanted to. She had joined the army to follow her cousin (and because she hadn't want to marry yet), so she was a good person to. She was willed to die for the sake of her country, for the sake of everyone else.

Jade knew that it was probably foolish of her to believe still in happiness for everyone but deep inside she knew that she would always believe in that dream. She was no one to give in. Fire would go out and lose its shine when the wind of doubt blew too strong but ice would remain. She was stubborn and focused on the goal to push her cousin to the place where he belonged.

She sat down again and for a second, she closed her eyes. She was back in her past.

She laid on the floor of her mother's study … pain flooded through her fragile body and her fingers were covered in crimson blood. Her voice was weak as she screamed her brother's name. He wasn't there anymore, so she felt strangely unbalanced and robbed of all her faith and her trust. But she lacked more than just a little bit blood. Whatever it was what she was missing, it was more than she would ever be able to bear. Tears streamed down her face. She yelled his name but again it was unheard in the haze of chaos around her. She heard screams while her consciousness was drifting away. He wasn't there. Her little brother had left her. He was nothing more than a traitor. But at the same time she realised that he hadn't left her because he had wanted to. He had been taken away from her … maybe he couldn't even hear her pain. Maybe he had been taken to the other side, never to be seen again. She had been a fool and now he had been taken from her, because of her failure. They had shared a dream, a goal, all along the way he had been at her side. They had dreamt of happiness, of peace. They had been too arrogant to assume that it would be fine. The theory was perfect. They couldn't have failed. It was impossible … right? What had driven them down that path, she wondered. Yes, she knew. She had known it all along but she had closed her eyes. They had wanted to see their cousin smile again … that bright and glowing smile that gave them happiness to the darkened world, and hope when there was none. It had been a wonderful smile but the war had shattered it.

Another smile like that had been all they had desired. And here she was: bleeding and alone, screaming his name in vain, trying to stay alive despite the hole in her stomach. Her legs longed to stand, so they could search for him, her little brother. But it was useless. She felt like she had only one anymore. But now as she grew lonelier in this echoing room of hopelessness, the regret filled her injured chest, Filling her aching lungs and drowning her slowly in guilt as the tears slip out of her eyes. But … inexplicably, there is a new will to fight. A new courage and determination that she hoped would save her life. If her theory was correct, hope wasn't lost. She could recover … maybe … one day … she would be able to breath without the pain she felt now.

She prayed that he would come back to her … that he wouldn't abandon her when she had nothing left. She knew that there was nothing they could do but move forward because there was no one to blame but themselves.

Her little brother, what had she done to him? She had been supposed to know better … supposed to be the one to protect him from all the horrors the world (and the war) had to offer. ('Take care of your little brother,' her mother had always said.) Her little brother, her poor little brother … she wanted to ask him to forgive her the blind foolishness which had led her into this darkness. For this sin, this crime against his soul was ugly and unspeakable.

If it were within her power, the price she had to pay would be greater, so his would be less.

Her little brother, oh her unfortunate little brother…

* * *

"JADE!" the voice was powerful. "Wake up! Snap out of it!"

She knew the voice. It was the voice she had wanted to hear again, the voice she had wanted to hear that desperate that she would have sacrificed more than her health. She had messed with some really dangerous guys just to do what she had always done: to make it easier for him.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. " Roy …" she muttered.


	12. Familiar troubles

**Familiar troubles**

* * *

Riza held her daughter while Laila cried. She gently stroked the golden hair and whished that she would have been able to attend the show. She would have been able to protect her daughter but she had failed her again. Sometimes, she really wondered why she was still alive since she was such a failure. She had failed everyone. She had failed her mother who had died when she had been a child. She had failed her father who had died when she had been a teenager. She had failed her dreams when she had become a killer machine during the war. She had failed Serena when she hadn't been able to safe her. She had failed Lynn and Martin who had been murdered in a dark alley and who would never be avenged because no one actually knew who did it. She had failed Kay and Charles who had died protecting their secret.

But most of all, she had failed the Colonel and her daughter. She hadn't stopped the colonel when he had entered the building that fateful day. She had never been able to stop him before he got in trouble. She had been a sad excuse for a bodyguard all along. She wasn't worth the effort. It would have been much better if she had been the one murdered at Briggs, at Central or in Padavia. She had failed Laila every day when she had come home late. She was a terrible mother.

"Mommy?" Laila wrapped her arms around Riza's shoulders. "Why are you so sad? Did something happen today? You seem so … stiff … so … un-mommy-like…"

Riza forced herself to smile at her daughter. "I am fine," she lied. "I was just worried, Laila. You could have been killed, don't you realise? One of these bullets could have taken you away."

The girl smiled and kissed her cheek. "I wasn't alone," she said. "I keep running in that guy."

For a second, Riza froze before she remembered that it was normal for children of Laila's age to have invisible friends. "Really?" she asked weakly while she hugged her daughter.

"Yes!" Laila grinned. "He is very nice … well … most of the time. He doesn't like Bradley."

Riza gulped. "What's his name?" she asked with a thin smile. Her mind was screaming to protect her daughter and to make sure that she would be okay soon but at the same time, she had no idea what kind of risk endangered Laila's mental health.

"I won't tell you!" Laila grinned. "You don't have to worry, mommy. You have more important things to do. You need to protect your friends."

Riza shook her head before she lay down on the bed. "You don't need to tell me if you don't want to," she said, "but I am just that tolerant because I know that you are a bright girl, Laila."

Laila smiled at her and both of them fell asleep.

Bendix who had been watching them from the doorway smiled wistfully. He had barely known his elder sister, Elizabeth, because she had left the mansion one year after his birth. He knew that his parents had loved her very much and he hated the thought that he would never be good enough to replace the dead daughter.

"You don't look happy, Benny," Olivier stated. "What's bothering you?"

He sighed. "I just noticed that I am still like the jealous little boy who I used to be when we were children," he replied. "I believe I told you once how much I suffered after Elizabeth's death."

"Because you were under the impression that your parents had preferred it if you had been the one with the early grave," she said and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Ben. You are a wonderful person and everyone should love you."

* * *

The next day, after a terrible night full of holding a crying and trembling Jade, Roy walked right into an even bigger annoyance. He entered the main building of Central Command and ran right into his former aide First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye and the most notorious womaniser in the whole Western Area Brigadier General Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn who was maybe the only man who could be able to steal a date from Roy because he was just that attractive. But Roy wasn't bothered by the fact that they were talking. He had seen them talking earlier that week and it had always been something work-related. This time, the Golden Boy of the Western Army was obviously trying to be really, really nice with the Hawk's Eye – and Roy was really annoyed.

"…so, you honestly think that your aim were better than mine, Rize?" Bendix chuckled. "I really want to compete against you … just a little, friendly challenge, nothing serious…"

"I already beat you last year," she said with a little shrug. "Why can't you give in, Ben? You can beat Charlotte, so why do you want to be able to beat me? You saw yesterday that my work is not to be rivalled by yours … and it's better that way since I am the sniper and you're the commander of the special forces. Armstrong is proud of you, right?"

"She is still trying to get me for Briggs since we're old friends … didn't she try to get you too?"

"Me and Jean, yes," the blond woman nodded. "It's actually kind of funny since she always tries to talk me into requesting a transfer when I see her. When I attended your birthday party last year, she even tried when she was already a little bit drunk. I was a little bit terrified to be honest." She checked her wristwatch. "Well, I would love to talk with you but … well … the Fuhrer insists that I am on time."

"I'll walk you to his office. I need to make sure that Mama's potential heir of Western Command doesn't get attacked in the hallways."

"Ben, you know that you will follow her as soon as she will retire," Riza sighed. "And even if you weren't there to take over, I would be never considered as a proper commander."

"Mama loves your attitude … because you know what you want – unlike me," Bendix shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if you would get the post. Or would you rather return to East City? Dad liked you, you know."

"You know that they will never allow me to go back, Ben," Riza said and sighed. "I know that all of us were happier back then but…" she shrugged. "Even the best things will never be good enough for them and you it as well as I do. Whatever we do, it will never be good enough for them." For a second, her eyes betrayed her pain and her anger. "We are working so hard, we are selling our souls and still … it will never be enough for them to accept our sacrifices!"

The young general looked at the floor before he raised his hand to brush back a strand of her hair. "You are truly your mother's daughter, Riza," he said and his barely loud enough for Roy to hear. "I miss her too, you know? Mama always says that I should have been more like her because she was probably the best person out there – at least according to Mama. If you are already angry because you know that they will never see us the way they saw Eliza and Jeanne, you can imagine how angry I am. I will always be the little brother of them … and I hate it. Eliza should have been a state alchemist but she declined and married that alchemist…"

Riza glared at him. "Pay attention, Llewellyn!" she hissed. "You don't know how she felt for him since you are very proud of the fact that you were never in love with someone!"

He didn't correct her.


	13. Dinner for three or: Roy gets it

**Dinner for three or: Roy gets it**

* * *

That evening, it was raining when Riza went home. Her coat was soaked by the time she reached the corner and it was very cold. Winter in Central was like that. No snow, just rain and cold. She hated it. In the East where she came from, there was no snow either but it didn't rain. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked faster to escape the cold. She wasn't afraid of the darkness around her but like every other sane human she preferred a warm room over the cold street. She would cook Laila's favourite meal today, she decided. Ever since her transfer under Bradley's command, she couldn't take care of her daughter properly and she hated it. She had promised to do everything in her power to make sure that Laila would have a good life and Riza Hawkeye always kept the promises she made.

"Hey, Lieutenant!"

She knew the voice and stopped before she turned around. "Good evening, colonel Mustang," she said and bowed her head. "It's good to see that you feel fine today."

"Ah … I still hate the rain," he said and held his umbrella over her. "You seem to be stressed…"

"Oh, I was just wondering what I will cook today," she shrugged. "Nothing important."

He frowned for a second. "I will walk you home," he declared suddenly. "I wouldn't sleep well tonight if I wasn't sure that you made it home safely."

_…and alone_, he added in his head. He was still very annoyed by the fact that his former aide and the stupid guy from the West went along that good. He had been watching Brigadier General Llewellyn for the past day and he had been shocked by the way this guy dealt with the women around him. Even Olivier Armstrong who was called the Ice Queen by basically everyone in the military laughed or smiled when the stranger made a comment or a joke.

"That isn't necessary," Riza said carefully. "I am nearly home and you don't live that close to me. You should try to get home as soon as possible, sir. And I have my gun. I will be fine."

"You were always bad in killing someone when it was just your own life in danger," he pointed out and grabbed her arm. "It's no trouble for me, Riza. I don't like the rain and I am not as good with a gun as Llewellyn but I would be able to defend myself."

"Ben and Charlotte are both very talented," Riza nodded. "Every soldier who served under their watch shouldn't worry for his life."

"You are pretty close to Llewellyn, right?" Roy asked while he glared at the street before him.

"As close as anyone can be to an uncle," she shrugged. "Ben and I are not especially close – he is much closer to Olivier. They are friends since many years … since they were babies, I believe. And Charlotte… well … half of the time she calls me Elizabeth because she likes to pretend that my mother never died. But we are still as close as the distance allows it."

Roy stopped as the puzzle began to form a clear picture.  
He started to get the big picture, he understood the secret of his aide. It made sense to him now … and he was sure that he was probably the last one who hadn't been able to see the truth right in front of him. The girl called Elizabeth had it spelled out more than once. She had said that her mommy had been in the war. Roy should have known that there had been just few women who had been in the war. He had met the girl on the graveyard where she had visited the graves of the Hawkeye-girls and their men. Hell, the girl had even told him that her mother had been taken away from her former commander and that she hardly saw her mommy now because the new commander kept her in the office until midnight. And Roy had known that Riza got hardly home between her shifts.  
How could he have been that blind and stupid?  
And the whole knowledge the girl had had about traps while fighting a mad gunman.  
Elizabeth had even complained about Selim – just half a day after Riza had told him that the boy was a homunculus. Really, Elizabeth – if that was her real name – had had written **Riza Hawkeye's daughter** all over her … and Roy was probably the only one who hadn't seen the connection between them.  
And the worst thing was that Jade had known it all along. Roy just knew this.

"I am so stupid, right?" Roy asked while they walked down the street. "I mean … I should have noticed something … I mean … I have known you for so many years…"

"What are you talking about, sir?" Riza asked, slightly nervous.

He didn't bother to answer. He just dropped his umbrella without caring about the rain to wrap his arms around her. She still smelled like she used to when they had been younger. Her hair had the faint note of apricots and he was pretty sure that she still used the same shampoo. But she seemed to be shocked at his sudden actions and he let go of her. "I apologise, Hawkeye," he said with a little bow. "That was out of line. I am really sorry."

She gulped. "Don't be," she whispered. "You have no reason to feel sorry."

"I believe that I have every reason to feel sorry," he replied as he picked up his umbrella. "And I believe that we need to talk, Riza. There is something I wanted to ask you … and I could help you with your cooking. It would be faster, believe me, and you could eat properly. You became pale and thin since you work for Bradley. Honestly, I swear that I will kill that bastard if he doesn't treat you properly!"

"Do you honestly believe that I would let you near my kitchen?" she asked. "I just bought a new one because my old didn't meet my family's standards."

"That wasn't no and I could still help you somehow," he said. "Come on, Riza. I need something to eat too and you are the best cook I know. Your stew even beats Gracia's…" He looked at her with puppy eyes. "And you can't let me stave, Riza! You need to take care of me!"

She sighed before she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the street. "Be happy that I actually want to talk with you," she muttered as she unlocked the front door of the house where she had rented a flat before she checked her watch. "Ben should have dropped the groceries by now," she said while she climbed the stairs, still dragging Roy behind her.

"You made a Brigadier General buying your food?" Roy smirked. "Honestly, that is brilliant!"

She shrugged and opened her door. "One of his most famous quote is 'I nearly gave Hawkeye an order today but I decided against it. I like to imagine that I have at least a little bit authority.' He is really like Charles. I always wondered if they were twins of something."

"Probably." Roy grinned a little bit. "I mean … Charles was always the only one who could stop her when she was on the straight way into insanity, right? And Llewellyn is the only one who can stop Olivier when she is angry. It was quite a scene today…"

Riza stopped as she heard the soft sound of the piano and a little smile appeared on her face. She closed the door and coughed. "Laila? I am home!" she said.

The music stopped and the girl ran down the corridor before she threw herself into her mother's arms. "I missed you, mommy," she smiled. "I just started to learn a new song!"

Riza picked her up. "I will listen to you later," she said as she stroked her daughter's hair. "I was thinking about making stew tonight … I thought that you would like it…"

"Everything you cook is fine, mommy," she said and get back to her own feet. "I will go back to my wor- **_oh…"_**

"He is here because we need to talk, Laila," Riza said with a shrug. "Did Ben bring the food?"

"Yes … he even brought the chocolate you asked for," the girl said before she raised an eyebrow as she looked at Roy . "When I said that I would see you around, I didn't expect you here."

"I am full of surprises," he said with a smile. "Alright, Riza, I can help you now."


	14. Familiar Troubles II

**Familiar Troubles II**

* * *

When they were in the kitchen and dry, Roy closed the door behind him and Riza and looked at her in a half-apologising-half-accusing way. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

She frowned at him. "Why should I have told you?" she asked back.

"Hmh … well … maybe because I have a right to know my daughter?" he slammed his palm on the counter. "And because I would have helped you? I would never have allowed you to follow me that far if I had known! You could have been killed! So many times you barely got out alive!"

She glared at him. "In case you didn't notice – Laila doesn't look like you at all!"

"I noticed but I am not stupid! Elicia looks more than Gracia than like Hughes as well! Not every child looks like a perfect mixture of the parents! And I am not a state alchemist because I am too stupid to count!" he said. "Did the thought that I would have maybe like to meet my daughter ever occur to you? Honestly, Riza, I really wonder what you think of me!"

She sighed. "The thought would have maybe occurred to me if you were the father," she said with a shrug, "but since you are not Laila's father, I saw no need to tell you."

He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer. "So … Riza … don't lie to me, please. Tell me who the bastard was who left you pregnant and all alone. I believe he will be extra hot by dawn…"

She sighed. "I am not the mother," she said. "Kay and Charles were the parents."

"Oh … yes … I remember…" he hugged her. "She **was** pregnant five years ago … I somehow never wondered what happened to the child when they left the country…"

"Kay couldn't take Laila with her when they had to leave," Riza said before she relaxed a little bit. "And so she basically blackmailed me into taking care of Laila."

"That sounds like something she would do, yes," Roy nodded and rubbed her back. "But … how did she got her hands on something she could blackmail you with, Riza?"

"She had seventeen years to get something," she shrugged. "Could you please let go of me? I need to make diner. Laila had probably nothing all day long … and you could maybe explain the 'see you around'-comment she made."

He released her with regret and leaned against a counter while she took out a knife. He gulped and hoped that she wouldn't attack him with the knife when he told her the truth. "Well … yeah … we kept running into each other for the past three months or maybe even longer," he said hastily. "She complained over Selim, said that the teacher is unfair and bullies her. I don't know if she told you that the stupid woman gave her the assignment to write an essay about Xerxes … you of all people should know how difficult it is to find a decent book about this topic." He sighed. "I didn't want to work that day, so I dragged her to the state library. As a state alchemist I could get her books about the lost country … I hope that you don't mind. She was a little upset when you couldn't attend the ballet show but I borrowed a camera from Hughes and made some pictures."

She nodded. "Laila already gave them to me," she said while she looked down on her vegetables.

"You are nor angry that your precious little daughter was spending time with me?"

"She said something about running into something the night of the show," Riza said, "and I assumed that she had an invisible friend or something. Honestly, I am a little bit relieved that it was you and not something she made up in her head. She is a Hawkeye after all and none of us had ever an invisible friend … and I believe that it's the same in Charles' family."

"You are honestly a really relaxed mother," he said. "Hughes would be in panic by now."

"The main difference is that I am Laila's mother while he is Elicia's father," she said. "I know my girl and I know that I can usually trust her judgment. She told me that Olivier was really nice when she saw her last time. And she is really close to Ben and my grandparents. Grandfather is always happy when she comes to visit. I think about sending her to the East for the Promised Day but Ben says that she would be safe with him…"

Roy shrugged. "I would say that you should protect her yourself but I know that you will be in danger too," he stated. "On the other hand, we thought about keeping all the children save at Hughes' new house. The military doesn't know about it because Gracia's sister bought it for them. From what I saw, it's easy to defend…"

"Could you please pass me the pepper?" she asked. "Well, your cousin showed me some pictures of it and it looked really nice."

He shrugged before he stopped. "Does Jade know about Laila?" he asked.

"Yes … and she was the only one who didn't suspect you to be the father," she replied and took the pepper with a little smile. "Honestly, it started to get on my nerves."

"How many people do know the truth about Elizabeth – I mean – Laila?"

"Kain, Jean, the Hughes-family, Falman, Breda, your cousin … and my family, of course," she said.

"And you never thought about telling me?" he asked with a little pout.

She sighed. "When you broke up with me, I assumed that you didn't want to be bothered with my private life," she said. "It was already bad enough for me to ask you to burn the tattoo. I couldn't bring myself to tell you that one too. And all the others … they kinda found it out by themselves."

"You would never bother me, Riza," he said. "Honestly, I would have helped you … really…"

She stayed silent as she looked at him in a nearly desperate way.

He sighed before he started to laugh. "I just ask myself what would have happened when I would have stopped by one day and she would have opened the door. I guess I would have fainted…"

"You were very close to the truth after Lynn's death when you came," she said. "Edward hid the door to her room and Alphonse hid nearly all her toys in his armour."

"I just hope that he didn't forget to give all the toys back to her. Kay's daughter would be really angry if someone steals her precious toys … and even if you raised her … you are not much better than our favourite red-head in that aspect…" he smirked.

"Laila's temper shows clear signs of the infamous Llewellyn-temper," Riza chuckled. "Olivier called me to tell me that Laila is like Ben in that age. It was really funny to listen to her rant about her childhood friend."

"She knew him in his childhood?"

"Grandmother is her godmother and Ben is just a few hours younger than Olivier in the end," Riza stated while she threw the vegetables in her fry-pan. "They are best friends since birth." She stopped when the phone rang. "Riza Hawkeye?"

_'Yo, it's me!'_ her uncle laughed. _'I was wondering if you would like to join Liv and me for diner…'_

"It's not so good tonight; I have already a guest," she replied. "And I am sure that Olivier and you can enjoy the diner even without me. Don't worry, she will tell you that you should work at Briggs, you will decline and you will move on with your former conversation … or should I say that you will flirt with her?"

_'I don't flirt with married women.'_

"She is **married?"** Riza's eyes widened. "Tell her that I am really happy for her and Miles."

_'How do you know that she is married with her own major?'_

"She isn't really discreet about the fact that she has a crush on him, Ben."

_'Well, you are right there,'_ he agreed. _'Alright, I need to go. See you tomorrow at the range.'_

"Don't be late," she said and ended the call.

"Your uncle?" Roy asked.

She nodded. "It feels really strange to call him that," she muttered while she took out three plates from the cupboard. "He's just three years older than I."

"That is really strange," he agreed. "Can I help you somehow? I could light the candles or set the table. I really want to help since I basically broke into your home…"

"It's fine," she said. "You could get Laila. She should be in her room or in the room where the piano stands. I am sure that you should be able to find her."

He smirked at her before he turned to leave. "She is really like you," he said.

"She is my daughter – what did you expect?" she asked with a little smirk of her own. "And she is a strong and proud girl. She will go her own way and I am happy to help her."

He smiled at her and was happy that he had survived the first round when he went to search the little girl. He found her in a room which was nearly empty. A piano stood in a corner and the huge mirror at the wall indicated that this was the room where she practiced for her ballet classes. She sat at the piano and turned around when she heard his steps. "You knew mommy?" she asked and tilted her head a little bit. "I never imagined that I would meet more of her friends. I mean, I already met so many friends of mommy that I sometimes wonder when she had the time to make them," Laila added with a little frown.

"Most of us have been working with her for years," Roy said. "She sent me because diner is ready. It smelled really good, so we should hurry up before she eats everything alone."

Laila got up and braided her hair while they went in the living room where Riza sat on a table. The girl smiled before she kissed her mother's cheek and sat down on the right side. "It looks really fine," she smiled. "And it smells heavenly!"

Roy hid his grin as he sat down and bowed his head. "I have to admit that I missed your cooking," he said and his grin became a friendly smile. "Don't tell Hughes that I said something that bad but I prefer your stew over Gracia's. I believe that even thinking something like that is a sacrilege in his eyes – so I would be really happy if you wouldn't tell him," he added.

Riza raised her head and smiled flattered while Laila frowned. "Why is Uncle Maes that … obsessed with Aunt Gracia?" she asked.

Roy shrugged. "I honestly don't know," he said. "It has to be a family-thing. Martin was the same way when it came to Lynn – he just didn't call me every day to tell me how perfect she was."

"Did you know Aunt Lynn well?" the girl inquired and tilted her head again.

Roy nodded. "She was a wonderful woman and a hell of a dancer," he said. "I believe she was the second or third best dancer I ever met … at least as good as Jade and nearly as gifted as the lady in front of me." He raised his glass at Riza and smiled. "I met her when I studied under Riza's father and I believe she hated me at first. She was never my biggest fan. I wonder why…" He shrugged. "Maybe she feared that I could take away the attention of her family … or something."

"She didn't hate you," Riza threw in. "She was just disturbed by the arrogance and the self-confidence you had when you first came to the manor. Believe me, Lynn was never insecure."

"She envied my good looks and my natural charm – I am sure of it!"

"Lynn had more suitors than I care to remember," Riza said with a smug smirk. "I don't think that she envied your good looks and your natural charm."

"Hah! You just admitted that I am good-looking and charming!" he laughed.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why should I lie?" she asked. "And all your fans can't be wrong."

"Ah, the girls always preferred Phil when I was younger," he said and for a second, he seemed worried. "He was always the cuter one of us … stole at least one date from me … and still, Jade was the one he asked for the formal dances at school." He shrugged. "He is out there … he fights the same war Breda fights. I hope they make it back alive … Jade would be heartbroken if her twin would die…" He took a sip from his wine. "An excellent choice, as usual, Riza," he said.

She was pale as snow. "I heard from the Fuhrer that Lieutenant Colonel Mustang went missing," she said while her hand trembled. "This morning … I thought you and Jade would already know."

Roy's right hand covered his eyes. "That is bad," he said. "Jade has already a hard time with all the memories which started to haunt her again and Lynn's death … if Phil is dead now as well, she will never recover and we do need her…"

"It rains too hard to go out," Riza said. "Maybe you should call her and tell her. It's better than she hears it from you than from someone who doesn't know your cousin."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jade was alone in Roy's house and tried to relax a little bit over a nice book. She loved to read and most of the time she avoided books on alchemy like the plague and went for fantasy because she found that more entertaining. She had just started a new one when the phone rang. She got up and sighed before she accepted the call. "Jade Mustang," she said.

_'JADELINA MUSTANG, TELL THE BASTARD WHO HAPPENS TO BE YOUR COUSIN THAT I HATE HIM!' _a familiar voice shouted. _'TELL HIM THAT I WILL COME TO CENTRAL TO KILL HIM PERSONALLY FOR LURING MY INNOCENT CHILDREN INTO THE HELL YOU CALL MILITARY!'_

"IZUMI!" Jade yelled back. "KILL ROY AND I WILL KILL YOU! And lower your voice, for crying out loud! I will be running into chairs for the next three days if you keep that up!" She inhaled. "And would you mind to tell me why you want to kill him this time?"

_'I told you already why he will be dead as soon as I see him,'_ her aunt said. _'He lured my children into hell … and he will pay for this!'_

"Izumi, you are messing things up," Jade said calmly. "After your little _accident_ some years ago you are not able to have children. And seeing that you yell at me, your poor niece, I doubt that it would have been healthy for a child to live near your constant anger. And I can just say that my mother will hear about this did nothing this time. He is having a hard time himself and I do not allow you to burden him with your childish anger! Am I understood?"

_'Am I really betrayed by my own niece now?'_ Izumi hissed. _'It seems so, Jade. But I shouldn't be that surprised. You and your brother were always on Roy's side, even if it could get you killed. And I am sure that you wouldn't even believe me if I would tell you that he lured my poor little apprentice into the hell the military embodies!'_

"See, we can hold a decent conversation, Izumi," Jade said smugly. "And yes, I know of the recruitment of Major Elric. I even said that it could be a good idea, seeing that the poor boy was totally down. And you can't expect Roy to leave a child behind. You know how he is with kids." She chuckled. "He called me that day … and he said that the Elric-boy looked worse than you. And you should probably be a little grateful because neither I nor he or Phil told anyone of your little accident. We protected you, Izumi Mustang Curtis! If it ever will be revealed, they will have our heads! **Roy**risked his carrier! **I** risked my carrier! **Phil** risked his carrier!"

_'Tell that son of a bitch-'_

"Don't insult your sister-in-law if you don't want me to come over and to drain all the air from you!" Jade interrupted with a hiss. " Roy walked through hell. I walked through hell. Phil is walking through hell right now, so excuse my rudeness when I say that I will break your neck if you should ever dare to hurt my cousin! He had just the best in mind for everyone!"

_'Oh, the holy Roy …'_ Izumi snorted. _'Honestly, Jade, you got shot at least eight times because of him and you still defend him? Really, you are more loyal than a dog.'_

"I prefer being a dog about being a stubborn moron who calls without knowing all the facts."

Izumi inhaled deeply. _'Is he at home? I really need to speak with him. I promise not to yell.'_

"He is still out and judging by the way it rains, I guess that he will sleep somewhere else…" Jade shrugged. "I saw how he talked to Hawkeye … probably he will stay at her place for the night."

_'Hawkeye?'_ Izumi stopped for a second. _'He is still in his apprenticeship under this strange guy? Honestly, even a fool like him shouldn't be learning for nearly twenty years…'_

"Oh, I excuse for confusing you," Jade hissed. "I was talking about his former fiancée, Riza Hawkeye. The 'strange guy' as you put it was her father. Roy finished his training years ago as you should know."

_'Right, he used the gift his master offered him to burn down Ishbal,'_ Izumi said darkly.

"Those were orders, you idiot! And they threatened our family in case you didn't know."

_'I would have been able to protect all of us and he should have known that!'_

"Roy and I are pretty sure that they would have sent Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist, because he was always the one who they used for the dirty jobs, Izumi," Jade said through gritted teeth. "No one would have been able to stop Kimblee! Not even Kay Hamilton would have been able to stop him without using dangerous and forbidden alchemy!" she added. "Believe me, Roy never intended to be a murderer but while you thought you could trick death, he believed he could change the country! You were egoistic; he wanted the best for all of us!"

For a second, she wondered if she had gone too far but on the other hand, she had never been good at stating her own opinion. Maybe it was healthy for her to get rid of all her anger and all her wrath for once because it had started to influence her usually good work.

Izumi was silent for a second. _'You are truly a splitting image of your mother,' _she said and sounded somewhat proud. _'Honestly, Jade, I can better deal with your anger than with your pity.'_

Jade exhaled. "I was still out of line," she said. "I call you back as soon as I see him the next time. I need to go … I got a letter from a fallen comrade this evening and I want to know why she wrote that letter the day she was … murdered. Tell Sig that I said hello."

She ended the call and sat down in front of her desk before she ignored the next call.


	15. A first step into the better future!

**A first step into the better future!**

* * *

"She doesn't pick up," Roy whispered. "She has to be asleep or maybe she went out…"

"No one with a little bit of sanity would who out in such a storm," Riza stated before she looked at Laila. "You can go and get ready for bed. I will come and read you a story in eight minutes."

"Yes, mommy," the girl said and went away before she turned around. "I love you."

"I love you too, princess," Riza said before she looked out the window. "I hate the winter in Central," she muttered. "It's much too much rain for my liking…"

"You never liked the winter," Roy pointed out. "Back in your hometown you disliked it because of the heat and the storms … and now you don't like the rain?"

She shrugged. "I liked the winters in the East," she said quietly. "It was better down there. Laila and I used to spent the holidays at my grandfather's manor … Ben came too … and sometimes even Olivier. Ever since I met my family on my mother's side, she was there."

He smiled at her. "Had you ever trouble?" he asked with a frown. "I mean, our society made quite clear that she looks down on children without a father and mothers without a husband…"

"Oh, there are two easy ways out," she said with a dismissive move of her hand. "Most people are really surprised when I say that Laila is adopted and start praising my afterwards for the act of pure selflessness to take care of her at such a young age. The other way is mentioning one of my grandparents. Most people know that my grandmother is hardly someone you would call traditional or even conventional." She shrugged. "She made quite some things which show very clearly what she thinks about the unspoken rules of this society…"

"Oh, yes, I remember," he sighed. "I believe she wanted to allow fraternisation among all the soldiers … and from what I heard last about that issue, she was quite successful. Bradley didn't allow it because that would mean that he would obey her, but he lowered the punishment."

She nodded. "And you can probably imagine how broad she is grinning now whenever she sees a couple in the military," she said. "Charlotte admits that it was a wonderful moment for her ego because honestly – no one will be scared enough when the punishment is one week without pay and afterwards it is allowed. She said to Grandfather that they were really happy that the law wasn't that strict then they got married."

"Many people like to compare me to your grandfather," Roy said with a shrug. "Just because he and I are both good-looking and probably the only ones who know how to deal with two very pretty blond and female snipers…"

"Grandmother should be considered as gorgeous at least," Riza said with a smile. "And … thanks … I believe that should have been a compliment…"

There was an unofficial ranking among the men in the military regarding the ten scariest women. Since nearly ten years, Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong and Lieutenant General Charlotte Riza Llewellyn were having a neck-on-neck race because nobody could decide who of the two was scarier. The only one who knew both of them well enough to judge had laughed and said that both of them were really friendly women with a great sense of humour. (And Bendix still wondered why most of his comrades thought that he was a little bit insane.)

"She scared Havoc last winter to death when she stood suddenly behind him when he was smoking," Roy said with a shrug. "She was saying something about his hair, I believe."

"That is likely," Riza said with a little smile. "She hates men with untidy blond hair. It is just allowed when it is black … and I believe that she accept this just because grandfather used to be black-haired before his hair turned white over Ben's and Olivier's pranks."

"He was black-haired?" Roy laughed quietly. "I would never have guessed."

She raised an eyebrow. "The Llewellyn-blond is stubborn," she said. "I believe mother's sister Jeanne dyed her hair after leaving the family because … the shade to the colour is difficult to achieve." She shrugged and a hint of sadness laced her voice. "That's the reason why even my own grandmother thought that Laila was my biological child." She turned away, unable to face him even longer. "I believe she was a little bit disappointed with me … and probably she still is."

"I overheard you talking with Llewellyn this morning," Roy said and hugged her from behind. "Both of you seemed to be bothered … I just want to say that I don't think that you or he are a disgrace for the name of your family. I am sure that you will go your way … even if you have a big role to play." He kissed her soft cheek. "Of course, being part of the Llewellyn-clan is a big thing but when I think back … so was being a member of the Hawkeye-family."

"Kay prided herself to be a Hawkeye," Riza gently freed herself. "I need to get Laila to bed. It's the first night in three weeks that I am home at a reasonable time."

He frowned. "I would really like to tell Bradley something about treating you," he said. "You are the best sniper of the military and now you make his tea! That is no job for you!"

She sighed while they walked down the hallway. "Grandmother talked with him," she said. "And he said he would send me back under your command but in exchange he would order someone to kill Olivier. And she would never risk her life when she can somehow avoid it."

He heard the worry in her voice and for a second he wondered how to make her realise that it would be over soon. But on the other hand … she had lost already four of her closest friends to the cause they were fighting for. He remembered Serena who had been the first. She had been bridesmaid on Lynn's and Kay's wedding and he could still see her in her light blue dress with had matched her sapphire right eye and the ruby left one perfectly. She had been a terrible dancer but an even better fighter. He also remembered Lynn who had died next. As beautiful as her older cousin, she had been the second best dancer out of them. He could still see her flying over the dance floor in her husband's arms. Martin had died some minutes after her and he had been a great husband and father. Roy could still hear his laugh when Charles had kissed Kay at their wedding. Charles and Kay … as long as Roy had known them; he had known that they had been meant to be together. Next to Charles, Kay had been at ease. She had found her equal in the intelligent and witty boy who had adored and protected her wherever she had gone.

Laila sat in her bed when Riza opened the door. The long golden hair fell down to her waist and she wore a blue night gown with the emblem of the Grumman-Llewellyn family on her chest. She smiled. "Will you tell me a story now, mommy?" she asked while Riza sat down at her side.

"Of course, Laila," the woman said and gently wrapped one arm around her. "What kind of story do you want to hear this time?"

"Can you tell me the story about the time you and our friends got drunk?" the girl asked. "I heard you talking about that incident with Uncle Maes … and I want to hear the whole story. Please, mommy. I swear that I will tell no one the details…"

Riza sighed. "Alright," she said with a little grin. "You remember what I said about your aunt Lynn, right? Wherever the trouble was, she would run straight into the mess. And it was exactly what got us in trouble that fateful day." She rolled her eyes. "It was the day of my graduation party and well, Kay and I had promised to look after Lynn and Serena because all of us knew that they had a really alcohol tolerance. So, we kept an eye on them. The situation was under control, really, until … until Charles and Martin came and Kay's attention was directed towards her boyfriend. I really tried to keep them out of trouble but Serena had one of her famous Oh-I-am-pretty-and-talented-so-why-am-I-still-single?-moments and when I turned my back to her for a second to check on Lynn, she downed a whole glass of vodka without thinking about it."

Roy chuckled. "That was about the time I walked in," he said. "I can remember you yelling at her for being reckless and Kay tried to calm you down … before you grabbed Martin's glass and drank his vodka because you thought it was water…" he shook his head. "That was the time when I realised that I should make sure that all of you made it home alive. Your father would have killed me when one of his precious girls would have been hurt."

She shrugged. "Charles tried to sober Serena up with water because he felt a little bit guilty for distracting Kay but it failed. I never saw her drunk afterwards … but it was funny."

"She was singing stupid songs," Roy smirked. "She was really at ease … for once."

"I believe I was the only one who was sober enough to stop the rest from entering the house through the front door," she said with a smirk. "Alright, you were also sober but you didn't think about the possibility of my father waiting for us right behind that door."

"How did you get in?" Laila asked interested.

Riza exchanged a look with Roy before she sighed. "Kay's room was on the backside of the house and there was a tree right in front of her window," she said. "I knew that it would be open while the backdoor would have been closed. So I decided to climb up, get in through the window, sneak downstairs and open the backdoor for the others. Usually something like that would have been Serena's job but she would have fallen down."

"So your mommy climbed up the tree and disappeared," Roy continued. "We waited for her behind the tree because no one of us wanted to be seen by Master Hawkeye of his insane sister. The problem was just that all of us were a little bit distracted when Lynn collapsed, so no one noticed how Serena tried to follow Riza … until she fell down and broke her ankle and Kay's arm because she landed on her sister. We barely escaped their mother and hid in Lynn's room since it was the closest. We fell asleep and the next day, Master Hawkeye was really angry because the boys weren't allowed in the girl's rooms. Kay and Charles were breaking that rule for years but we never told him because she would have most likely had tried to kill us."

"He was so angry," Riza said with a nod. "I believe he nearly kicked Mr Mustang out because he needed someone he could blame for everything."

"It was Charles who saved my neck," Roy said. "He told Master Hawkeye that we had fallen asleep there because we had had to carry Kay and Serena back to the mansion because they had been injured during the dances." He shrugged. "Neither Kay nor Serena had been famous for their footing, so he believed us and didn't kick me out of his house."

Laila chuckled before she fell asleep. Riza smiled gently while she tucked her in. When she got up, she ran her hand through her hair and pushed it back behind her ears to keep it out of her way. "Good night, honey," she whispered and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"You are a great mother," Roy said as they left the room. "Really … you are as good as a mother as Hughes it is as a father. I am sure that there is no other woman in the military who can deal with this situation that well. You really do an awesome job."

She shrugged. "I try my best but I know that it will never be good enough," she said. "Laila … she deserves much more than this life. She deserves happiness … and I can't offer her that."

"She is happy, Riza," Roy said and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Believe me, she is happy. You have no reason to doubt yourself. You have given her a home, a family who adores her. I saw Olivier and Llewellyn when I was at that ballet show. They looked so proud. They love her. I had never thought that I would say something like that about Olivier but she looked like she would want a child of her own. She looked like she would trade everything for the happiness of having a child. Believe me; you would have failed her when she would grow up with a family who hates her. But everyone loves her. She is such a smart little girl; no one with a heart can hate her."

She looked up at him. "I should never have agreed on taking care of her. Other people would have done a much better job than I do."

He knew her better than any other living person did and so he knew her low self-esteem. It had always been that way. Whatever she did, she was sure that someone else could do it better. "You are the best for that job," he said and his lips brushed her temple. "Believe me; no one else could do it better. And everyone knows that Kay had always a good eye for the people who had to do the important jobs. And I am somehow really sure that this isn't about your style to raise her. Your problem is somewhere else. Am I right or am I right?"

She glared up at him but she couldn't get away for once. "You are right," she muttered.

"Am I allowed to guess why you feel that way or do you want to tell me?" he asked.

"I don't care," she said through gritted teeth.

"So … I guess that this all about normality," he said as he sat down on her couch. "You are mad at yourself since you can't offer her a normal life, right? A normal life … with a normal family … you know the old-school version with a hard-working father, a loving and caring mother – and a dog. The kind of family you would have liked for yourself if I remember correctly."

She sat down on the other couch and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Congratulation," she said with a voice laced in sadness. "You really got the true problem. I know that she suffers…"

He got up to sit next to her and gently rubbed her back. "It's not your fault," he said and pulled her closer. "If there is someone to blame, it would be me." He took her hand and kissed it. "I can't ask you to follow me down this path any longer, Riza. You are too precious to me."

She sighed. "I can't leave now," she said. "When we don't get rid of Bradley and his gang of idiots, Laila will have the same life we had. And even if I will never kill myself over what I did, I will always regret it. And she is a military girl by birth like Kay … like Lynn… like Serena … like Charlotte… like Olivier … even like I." She bit her lower lip. "It's my blood … it's her blood … and I hope that she will never have to see what I had to see. That why I will never leave." Her eyes were trained at his. "And even if you don't allow me to follow you any longer, I will follow someone else with the same goal. I am sure that Ben und Olivier would be overjoyed. Especially she would be really happy that she finally was able to lure me away from you."

"It's no punishment," he said and sighed. "It's because … because I would never survive losing you, Riza. Looks at my page of interest, alright? I was so sure all those years that I would reach my goal and that it would be like in our youth. Kay would tease my because I am smaller than her, Charles would try to hold her back when she gets too mean, Lynn would write her poems, Martin would smile whenever he sees her and bother everyone with his pictures of his perfect little family, Serena would trip over her own feet and hit her head on my desk … and you would be there too, right next to me." He kissed her cheek. "And now I have to realise that I will be never that way. Kay will never tease me again because she was murdered. Charles will never hold her back again because he was murdered too. Lynn will never finish her last poems because she was killed. Martin will never smile again because someone shot him. And even Serena who was always the most careful person I know will never hit her head on my desk again because someone made her fall that deep that she will never get up again. And I can't lose you the same way I lost them. I prefer having you safe, somewhere in a little village … like Resembool."

"I can't leave now," she said. "I know that you are worried and I can understand it but still, I won't leave you behind. We started this mission together and I will be damned if I take the next exit to save my own neck."

He knew that there was no sense in arguing with her, so he grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. It was probably not the smartest move ever but he didn't know what to do because she was so much like she used to be when she was out of uniform. He remembered her for a second. He remembered how she used to be before the war and the pain. A memory which had been hidden underneath all the other, more painful memories, resurfaced as he closed his eyes for a second. It was the day she and her cousins stood with shaking hands among other pupils. The crowd around them was cheerful and loud but they were serene and calm. They looked like queens despite their ugly school uniforms. The names were read out and finally, she moved forward to shake the headmaster's hand. She had graduated that day, he remembered. And Kay had graduated the year before but she had still been allowed to stand in the crowd. (It was difficult to tell her that she wasn't allowed to do something when she had her hand on her gun.) Riza had seemed to be quite happy to get out of school and still, she had held her head high like she was a hero from her old history book. She had looked so happy and so relieved than Kay had dragged her out of the hall and they had laughed and danced through the house all night before they had collapsed giggling onto the couch in the living room there Roy had been working on an array.

"_Long live all the magic we made_," he muttered as he finally pulled back. "You had always a great way with words," he added. "I always thought that you should have been the one with the poems but Lynn was pretty good at it too…" he waved his hand in front of her face. "Riza?"

She frowned at him. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "You made your point quite clear, six years ago. Sometimes I really wonder what you are thinking."

He sighed. "I was thinking that I was really a fool for letting go of you," he said. "My ears still hurt from the yelling my aunts gave me. I believe they called me 'a moron who lost the only true happiness he ever felt because of his uncalled self-hatred'. Phil made his point clear – I believe he knocked me out three minutes after he started to beat me up…" He shuddered. "I am sorry, Riza. To break our engagement was the worst idea I ever had. I just wanted that you could find someone much better than I will ever be because you deserve nothing more than the best. And because of that … I hate myself. As long as you are in the military, everyone will assume that we are still together … and you will never find the happiness you deserve. I keep you away from it because I am too weak to let go of you … because my feelings never changed." He inhaled and decided that he should tell her the whole truth. "The truth is that I am too selfish to let you go even if I try to tell myself that I could let you go. I will never be strong enough to live without you but since you have probably moved on long ago, I will have to learn to life without you … and I promise that I will be no longer in the way. You deserve being happy more than anyone else."

She glared at him. "Could you please stop?" she asked. "In case you didn't notice – I never moved on. I … I couldn't. I told myself that I could make you love me again when I work hard enough … when I become important enough…"

"I am sorry," he whispered. "I should have told you earlier … really…" He kissed her again. "I was just so … so jealous. I mean … I thought about frying Fuery because he was so close to you. And he is a nice girl and many women like him … and Llewellyn … he **is** good-looking…"

"He is a) my uncle and b) more into dark-haired women," she shrugged. "And Kain? He is cute and nice but more like a little brother than anything else. He is a great babysitter compared to Jean. Honestly, the guy had the nerve to make out with Rebecca in my living room while Laila was sleeping in the ext room!"

"He was never one to be subtle," Roy agreed while he kissed her temple. "I am really sorry for causing so much pain to you…"


	16. In the darkness

**In the darkness**

* * *

That night, both of them slept exceptionally well. No nightmares plagued their minds and for once, they really believed in a better life for both of them. Roy who slept on the couch was a little bit mad at himself that he hadn't used the chance to propose to her once again but he promised himself to get over with this problem as soon as the stupid Promised Day was over and there was no more risk for them to be together. Fraternisation between members of different units was allowed but Roy feared that Bradley and his gang of morons would take every opportunity to get him dishonourably discharged – and if the Fuhrer had to lie and to say that had tried to rape Riza or something equally ridiculous.

Both adults were fast asleep when a bone-shattering scream destroyed the silence. Riza was up in a flash, jumping out of her bed, nearly tripping over Hayate in progress, stumbling through the dark living room, running into Roy who was awake too before finally reaching Laila's room. The door was pulled open and the worried mother knelt down next to Laila's bed. The girl was barely awake and sweat ran down her face where her obvious terror was visible. She looked at her mother before she wrapped her arms around her and started to cry.

"Pssch…" Riza gently rubbed her back while she hugged her. "I am here … everything will be fine … I take care of you … don't worry … pssch … another nightmare, hmh? Calm down … I am here … I protect you … breathe … it will be good again … there is no one who will hurt you…"

Roy sat down next to Laila and tried to be not distracted by the amount of cleavage Riza's dark blue night gown showed as he hummed the song his father had used to sing for him in his early childhood. It was one of the few memories he still had and he felt like it was a good idea to share the melody with the terrified girl before he looked briefly at Riza. "Does she have nightmares often?" he asked worried. "It seems like you have some kind of routine."

She sighed while she wiped away her daughter's tears. "Sometimes," she said, "but she never screamed like that. Whatever she dreamt, it terrified her greatly."

"It was you, mommy!" the girl sobbed. "You were lying on the floor and blood was everywhere. I stood somewhere in the background and I tried to run towards you to help you but I couldn't move. I was frozen … and there were shadows everywhere … and they attacked the both of you."

Roy looked at Riza. "That sounds not like something a girl of this age should dream," he stated.

She nodded and hugged her daughter. "I will make you hot milk with honey, alright? And you can sleep in my bed tonight," she said before she kissed Laila's forehead. " Roy will take care of you until I am back again. He can't shoot properly but he has other way's to protect you."

"What happened to 'no alchemy in front of my daughter and in my home'?" he asked.

She looked at him. "I allow you to do everything you see fitting in order to protect her," she said before she left the room.

Roy gulped before he hugged the little girl and gently rubbed her back like Riza had done it before. It had to be a good way to calm her down because Laila stopped to sob and started to tremble instead because her night gown was soaked in sweat and the window was open. "Poor little Hawk," he muttered in a hopefully comforting manner. "That is really bad dream you dreamt tonight. And the bad thing is that I can't promise you that something like that will never happen. I would prefer it if Riza would stay healthy and alive but … there is always a risk…"

She sobbed a last time before she looked up at him. "You are good at comforting people," she said with a little frown. "Are you really a soldier or are you one of these psycho docs?"

He pouted. "I am a soldier," he said. "I just spent nearly every night this week on comforting Jade after a nightmare. She was reliving some of her worst moments … poor little girl…"

"Was she in the war too?" Laila asked with wide eyes. "Because it gives mommy nightmares…"

"Not the same war, but yes, she saw a war too," Roy said. "No, most of her nightmares are about being left behind. She is afraid of this and she has some good reasons." He frowned a little bit. "And because she stays at my place because she never bothers to buy her own flat when she can be ordered to work somewhere else everyday, I got quite an impression of her nightmares over the past week. She dreams she is back in her mother's study, lying on the floor, slowly dying. She screams for her brother to come back … but he will never come … and she knows."

"Did … did it really happen?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes … and I really regret it," he said. "I should have been there to protect them. I am really a terrible older cousin … nearly letting my favourite relatives die … my aunts would have killed me." He sighed. "The point is that nightmares are terrible and they can scare the hell out of the one who suffers them and people who like said person because they suffer with them. I stayed up with Jade for the past nine nights and I really hope that she will get over it one day because it honestly scares me to death when she wakes me with her scream – and she can scream at least as good as our dear aunt Izumi."

Laila chuckled and Roy was quite happy with his accomplishment. He had made her laugh and that was really difficult under every circumstance because she was as hard to read as Riza. It had to be the stupid Hawkeye-gen which was able to hide everything from him.

Riza came back and handed Laila the mug before she sat down next to them. "You really don't look good," she said. "Maybe you should take a bath to relax a little bit, Laila. I can't have you get ill because of this nightmare. It's not good for you, little hawk…"

"I agree," Roy said and nodded. "And since it is Saturday tomorrow, all of us can sleep in…"

Riza snorted. "I wish I could but my dearest boss requested my presence when Selim tortures whole Central High Command with his violin once more. Honestly, I know where the word **violence** comes from."

Laila laughed another healthy laugh before she got up to go to the bath room.

"The joke was good," Roy said with a little smile. He felt a little bit ridiculous because Riza had given him a pyjama which belonged to Bendix, so the colour was dark green with the same emblem on his chest Laila's and Riza's night gowns had.

Riza shrugged as she smiled. "It was a close connection since I had the honour to listen to him once. I guess I will need earplugs to survive that torture," she said. "He is untalented."

"I heard the same from other sources as well," Roy smirked. "So … still milk with honey, yeah?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Grandmother says it was the best cure against insomnia and/or nightmares," she said with a shrug. "Olivier recommended vodka but I believe she is a little bit too young for something like that."

"Probably," he said with a little smile. "Well, I hope that you don't mind me staying here. I don't want to bother you … and I hope we won't get in trouble for something that ridiculous."

She shrugged as she drank the rest of Laila's drink. "I don't mind," she said. "Sometimes it's a little bit difficult to deal with everything at once, so I am quite happy for the company. Usually Ben would stop by after work but it seems like his meeting with his best friend was more important. Well, at least he didn't forget my groceries since we were running out of food."

He smiled and wrapped one arm around her waist. "You are doing a hell of a job here," he said.

* * *

The reason why Olivier Mira Armstrong was awake at one in the morning? She was pacing around in the huge mansion with a coat around her shoulders that didn't belong to her. The rank insignia on the shoulders showed that this coat belonged to a brigadier general. She chuckled as she noticed it. She must have taken the wrong one when they had left the restaurant shortly after midnight. She sat down on a couch and wrapped the coat closer around her body before she wrapped her arms around her legs. It would be hell out there but she tried to tell herself that she wasn't afraid. The main problem was that she was downright scared. She didn't worry for her own life because if she was dead, she wouldn't have to worry anymore. She was afraid of the pain that always came with losing someone important. Her right hand hit the pillow next to her. She was being foolish. The ones who deserved her trust and her … love were strong. They would stay alive. They wouldn't leave her the way her grandfather left.

She found it really ironic that she froze down in her own living room after working up at Briggs for years but there was no fire in the room and she just wore her pyjama. She sighed as she got back to her feet. She knew that she wouldn't find her sleep, so she could go as well for a walk.

She changed into comfortable clothes and took just a gun with her. She wasn't a brilliant gunman but she was much better than her little brother since she had spent much time at the shooting range with Bendix when she had been still at the Military Academy. She smirked as she walked down the street. The rain had barely stopped as she reached the first corner. She smiled and walked on. As much as she hated Central, she had to admit that it was nice to be able to go for a walk at night without raising sceptic questions. She was pretty sure that no one would be able to recognise her due to the lack of her sword but it was still a strange feeling.

When she finally stopped in front of another huge mansion, she wasn't surprised. She hadn't paid any attention to the way she went because she knew the streets since her childhood and she would find back home from any point of the town. But she knew that she wouldn't go home tonight. She took out a key from her pocket and went to open the door. She knew the house and since she had spent a good part of her childhood and early youth in the rooms and halls, she was able to find the quickest way to her goal. Her footsteps were barely audible as she walked down a hallway. She passed some old pictures and stopped for a second as she saw her own face. It was strange seeing that all the other pictures showed members of the family whom belonged the mansion – and at least a quarter of all the enterprises in Amestris.

She looked young on the photo, young and carefree. Her hair was up in a tight bun and she wore a white dress. Ah, she remembered, the debutantes' ball at Central, nearly fifteen years ago. She sighed. She had barely danced because she had hated the whole event. Most of the time she had spent on the balcony, watching the stars and talking with Ben who hadn't had any interest in the dance either. The reason why she would never forget the ball was that the stupid guy had kissed her when he had brought her home. (She had punched him for that move, of course.) Still, it had been a nice night because her parents hadn't been disappointed with her – for once. In their eyes, Ben had always been a desirable son-in-law and they had suggested more than once that Olivier should marry him.

She chuckled as she walked on. She knew more about Bendix Jonathan Llewellyn than anyone else. She was the only one who knew that he was still a virgin – despite the fact that he was a known womaniser. For all his flirtations and all his smooth talk … Ben was a romantic at heart, like his father. Leroy was also someone who was really self-confident when it came to women but still, he believed in true love and soul mates – and he was sure that his wife was the one for him. (Nearly fifty years of marriage proved him right.)

"I didn't expect you at such a late hour, Liv," a gently voice emerged from the bedroom at the end of the hallway. "I thought it would see you in the meeting at Monday … or did Fuhrer Pirate order you to attend his son's little torture show too?"

She smiled gently as she finally saw him. He sat on his bed in his trademark green pyjama and smiled at her. She closed the door behind her. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted while she sat down next to him. "I saw the picture in the hallway … your mother is really something else."

He shrugged. "You are part of the family, Livvie," he said, calling her by her old nickname. "Come on, you can borrow one of my shirts if you want to. You need your sleep."

She smiled at him genuinely before she crossed to his dresser and took out a plain white t-shirt. His back was turned at her as she changed and she sat down behind him, so that they were back-to-back. She looked around in the room and was quite happy that nothing had changed since she had been here, three years ago. The room was decorated in the green of the Llewellyn-family and the gold of the Grumman-clan. Usually she would have hated the room because everything was so posh and so upper class but that was typical Ben. He was no poser. He was how he lived. He liked to be part of the high society. He liked to attend balls and the opera. He was the perfect heir of his illustrious family after his older sisters had run off to marry random men.

"It has been a while since you were here," Ben stated as the closed the book. "The room missed you, I guess. You always brought a hint of blue…"

Every woman who didn't know Ben the way Olivier did would have been insulted but she just smiled as she leaned closer against his back. "I missed the room too," she said. "How much time did we spend here? We just sat around and talked … I really missed that later on in my life…"

"Don't talk like you are already an old woman," he scolded. "You are young and hot."

She chuckled. "You have really a way with your words, Benny," she muttered. "Honestly, I should go and get you a decent wife. We need something from the upper class for you, I guess. It would be a shame if you would break with your parents over a woman…"

He laughed. "I don't need to marry, Liv," he said. "I am happy with my life. I have my family, I have my job – and when the fate shows some mercy, I get even to spend time with you." He looked over his shoulder. "Forgive me to be that blunt, Olivier, but didn't you want children?"

"I wanted to start this project after overthrowing Bradley," she shrugged. "You are right; I should hurry up before I get to old. And when my first child happens to be a boy, I will name is after you in some way. You know that I always liked your name, right?"

He grinned. "You, my dearest partner in crime, are really a wonderful person."

* * *

Jade paced around in the flat. Her dark hair was in a mess and the ink of the letter she had written was barely dry. She hated this. She had finally found a little bit of happiness and peace and now, the situation requested that she left again. She should have been used to it by now but still, she hated the fact that she lost every home she found. She looked back to the chair she had sat in for the past hour. The glass was just half empty but she knew that she would never down the rest of her whisky. Her palm slammed against the wall. She should have stopped to believe in happy endings and harbours for herself long ago. She sighed as she went in the room she had slept in and took one of her bags before she threw some of her clothes into it. She had had a time when she didn't believe in happiness anymore but then her brother had dragged her out of this mess. He always had to come along when she wanted to give in, didn't he? He tore down the doors and walls she had build around her and threw the windows open. She sat down for a second. Oh, she knew how much of a fool she was.

She grabbed her back and locked the door behind understand because he would have done exactly the same when it would have been his former aide. Jade couldn't help but laugh at his foolishness. He knew that he loved her but he would never tell her because he was afraid to be rejected. She looked over her shoulder before she took a taxi to the train station. She fool but a loveable one. One day, he would trade his uniform for a crown and become the king Amestris needed. Of course, they wouldn't build a monarchy but even in a democracy, he would be the head of state. He didn't know it but right after the war; Jade had pulled some strings and suggested some changes in the laws of the parliament to make sure that he wouldn't go down. She wasn't his queen but she was still worried on his behalf. She would never allow him to get himself killed in such a noble way.

_'What for a fool,'_ she thought as she took the train to the East. _'How can he honestly think that I would watch how he kills himself and the love of his life? Really, he underestimates me again.'_

Jade Mustang wasn't as beautiful as the Amestrian women but she was pretty and exotic enough to be considered as attractive. She didn't need her looks to get what she wanted but they helped her from time to time when she was dealing with an old general. Her success was based on the fact that she was regularly underestimated.


	17. Another morning

**Another morning**

* * *

Roy awoke when the sun tickled his nose. He tried to move a little bit to escape the light but froze as he noticed that there was something a little bit off.  
First of all, the bed was too big and too soft to be his.  
Secondly, the wonderful smell in the room was wrong yet familiar.  
Thirdly, there was someone he held with his right arm.  
He gathered all his courage before he looked at the person next to him. Golden hair was sprawled all over the white pillows and a sigh of relief escaped him as he recognised Riza. He stopped again. What the hell was he doing in her bed? He panicked slightly because she had never liked it when he had sneaked into her bed when she was asleep and he didn't want any arguments. He looked over her shoulder and noticed Laila who was curled up next to her mother. Ah … he remembered sitting next to Riza while they had talked with Laila to calm her down to a point where she would simply fall asleep without another nightmare. It seemed like all of them had fallen asleep in progress. He smiled a little bit as he pulled his beautiful former/future fiancée closer. She stirred a little bit before she slowly opened her eyes. "Hum?" she muttered sleepily and Roy considered himself a lucky man because she didn't attack him or kicked him out of her bed – probably because she could remember.

"Good morning, sunshine," Roy smiled as he kissed her cheek. It had been a while that he had been able to call her that in the morning. Six years to be exact.

"You didn't go back to the couch … right…" She sat down and her fingers tried to comb her messy hair. "You fell asleep before Laila … and that has to say something." She glared at him. "You didn't sleep enough over the past weeks, Roy, and you don't eat properly."

"What can I say?" he sighed. "I had no time to eat or to sleep. Without a decent team, I have to do everything on my own. I need the girls more than before and … I hate it. Hey, I will talk to your uncle and tell him that he should take over some of the so-called dates…"

"I would guess that Olivier will try to kill you if you dare to corrupt his innocence," Riza said with a little smile as she got up. "She is a little bit over-protective when it comes to him since she got promoted last year. Last winter, she was nearly unbearable over the holidays."

Roy followed her to the kitchen where she started to make breakfast. "It is funny," he said as he started to help her. "I mean … we used to eat together in the morning all the time I studied under your father … I really missed it. It's not funny to eat alone, honestly."

She shrugged as she took her cup of tea. "Most of the time, I eat with Laila or someone of the group, so I haven't eaten all on my own in a very long time," she said.

He took another cup and sat down in front of her at the kitchen table. "Honestly," he started, "you have no idea how lucky you are. You don't have an empty house to come back to. You have people who support you whatever you do. I can't imagine what my family would have said when I had told them that I was taking care of a child while being half a child myself…" He sighed and looked at her with a caring smile. "My aunts would have killed me … and then they would find a way to get me back from death … before they would kill me again…" He shuddered. "I believe that Jade is the only one who was never scared of Aunty Izumi when she was angry…"

Riza smiled back at him before she put down a plate with eggs and bacon in front of him. "Jade can kill people without leaving a trace," she said. "She knows that she doesn't have to be afraid because she can kill nearly everyone and will always be getting away with it unless she is stupid enough to confess that she killed someone…" She gently squeezed his hand. "The military made her a state alchemist to have a little bit of control over her actions."

He snorted. "I feel really bad for comparing my darling of a cousin with that psycho but … it didn't work with Kimblee, so I highly doubt that there is really someone at High Command who is dense enough to force another alchemist into the army with the hope to be able to control her. I mean, most of the people there aren't known for their brilliance since they kicked both of your grandparents out and since neither Olivier nor your uncle have the trust of those fools … but still … it's embarrassing for our country."

She chuckled. "Olivier likes the fact that they don't trust her," she stated. "She said that she feels really honoured and Ben thinks that it is amusing."

"It's not but I would probably laugh about it too when I was in his boots," Roy said.

She grinned as she got up. "I need to get ready for the torture," she said before she left the room.

"Good morning," Laila said as she came in. "It's nice to see you that you are still here, Mr Mustang." She bit her lower lip. "Did mommy tell you where she put the muesli?"

He shook his head. "I can help you," he said. "And please – call me Roy ."

She looked at him before a little smile appeared on her face. "Alright," she said with a nod. "But I really don't want to be a bother for you. I would be mad at myself for something like that."

"You will never be a bother for me," he promised. "Well, since your mommy has to let herself tortured this morning, why don't we go to the park? We could go to the ice rink and skate."

She beamed up at him. "I would love that," she said.

Riza came back and raised an eyebrow. "What would you love, honey?" she asked.

"We will go to the ice rink today," Roy explained. "It had been a while since I was there but you know how much I like it … and you know that no one ever get hurt there when I was around."

She smiled at the memory as she nodded. "It's fine with me – but don't bring her back too late," she said. "I will go to the torture event and afterwards I will do my shopping but I will be home at four. Diner will be ready at six, so take your time." Riza paled as she looked at the clock. "Oh, I really need to go!" she said and took a jacket from the wardrobe before she rushed away.

* * *

Riza tried to keep her poker face as she sneaked into the hall were Selim/Pride would torture a whole bunch of high ranking officers with his violin. Riza liked music and she was very proud of her daughter who liked to play the piano but she had a hard time to believe that someone ever asked Selim to play in front of such a big audience – and of course, Mrs Bradley who adored her so-called son would never tell him that he was a terrible violist. Riza sighed as she got to her place in front of the Fuhrer, between Olivier and Bendix who looked like they would be rather in hell than in this room. Olivier had crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the boy on the stage while Bendix was cleaning his favourite gun on his lap. They looked bored and only a little bit tired. As Riza said down, Olivier raised a brow. "You got promoted?" she asked. "It was time that you finally join our class of officers since you are much better than all of them together."

Riza paled as she saw the rank insignia on her shoulder. "Crap, I took the wrong jacket," she said and took it off to fold it. "And I was wondering the whole way why it felt so comfortable…"

Bendix chuckled. "Last week, I wore Dad's jacket in a meeting and everyone was wondering what I did to be promoted again," he said. "Well, I really would like a double-promotion…"

"I know," Olivier cut him short before she turned towards Riza. "So, care to tell us who your guest was? Hmh … you don't know many colonels … and even less would be allowed in your home, right?" She grinned. "Come on, Riza; tell us something about your hot lover before I die from boredom. The ballet show was far more entertaining…"

"Let her be, Liv," Ben said. "It dishonourable to kiss and tell, don't you agree? And even if I would be very interested too, I will leave her alone because she is old enough to decide what she does with which men." He smirked at Riza. "Ah … come on, honey, you look tired like hell. I guess it was a really good night for you, hmh? Oh, see how she blushes, Olivier. Benny is right again!"

"Try to ignore him," Olivier said with a shrug. "I know that it is really difficult and that you will need probably years to turn his annoying voice out but try it. Turn up the tune of the music in your head and try to stay on your chair when the sweet melody of 'Die another night' runs through your head…" She sighed. "Believe me, Riza, turning the tune up was the only way for me to stay alive over the past twenty years."

The younger woman raised her left eyebrow. "You shouldn't say that you think that 'Die another night' is relaxing or has a sweet melody," she stated. "I like that song – it's great when I go to the shooting range – but it is not cute or sweet or romantic at all."

Olivier chuckled. "You need to know that I like to listen to … aggressive music," she said before she glared at Selim who had appeared on stage. "I would prefer a nice concert of my favourite band over this show here to tell the truth."

* * *

During the break between the two hours of torture, Olivier dragged Riza a little bit away from the other guests of the performance. "Come on, spill it," she ordered while she looked around. She was watching if Bendix had come back from his trip to be bar but that was not likely because he had the intention to drink himself into oblivion.

Riza raised her left eyebrow. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said.

"I am not Ben – I know who the owner of the jacket is," Olivier said as she leaned against a wall. "So … your guest last night was Mustang, right?" When she was the faintest hint of a blush, she went on. "Honestly, Riza – what the hell were you thinking? He broke your heart once – he will break it again! And we can't afford that Ben kills Colonel Sparky because the stupid guy broke your heart because he was too dense to realise that you deserve someone much better!"

Riza sighed. "Don't tell Ben," she said as she looked over her shoulder, "and don't worry. He won't break my heart. I am sure that he is out of this phase, Olivier, so don't worry."

"I just don't want Ben to get in trouble for killing something as ridiculous as Mustang," the Ice Queen snorted as she frowned at some general's wife. "I like your uncle, Riza. He is like the brother I never had."

"You have a brother."

"I mean … like a brother I actually can stand."


	18. Running away

**Running away**

* * *

Roy and Laila entered an empty house and Roy was scared to death when he realised that most of Jade's personal things were gone as well. The ridiculous pink scarf her brother had given her eight years ago for her birthday … the old bracelet her father had bought for her during a family vacation in Creta … her favourite jacket … her make-up … and some other things.

But he understood when he saw the letter on top of his desk. She had left because she had taken the responsibility to get her brother home in one piece. He gulped before he opened it. The handwriting was a little bit messy but obviously Jade's.

* * *

_Dear Roy –_

_I am sorry for taking the easy way out. To leave while you were someone else is cowardly and under other circumstances I would have wait for you to come back because you deserve to know the truth. I am leaving and I won't tell you where I am going. I promise you to come back. I promise you that I will stay alive._

_The reason why I am leaving? Phil is out there, missing in action. I know that he hasn't deserted, so I can safely assume that he is in trouble. I will search him – and I will find him. And there is another reason: turn around and look at the map behind you, at the wall. I receivedLynn's last letter yesterday and it took me some hours to figure her code out. Believe me; you will be shocked if you don't know it already. I hope that you will be fine and that you will forgive me._

_The fire shall burn and the wind shall cool the heat of the anger._

_Love – Jade_

* * *

Roy turned around to look at the map and he was maybe a little bit surprised when he saw what she draw on the map of Amestris. It was an array and he remembered that array from the report Maes had given him after Lynn's and Martin's death. It had been the unofficial one since Major Alex Armstrong had mentioned the fact that Lynn had been investigating the fifth institute … and that she had scratched this array into the earth – shortly before her death.

The black-haired colonel slipped on his glove and snapped once. The map burned away and he sat down on the couch in his study. "Damn that bastard!" he cursed. "What the hell does he think he is doing? Killing so many people at once … that is really cruel…"

Laila looked at him with a hint of interest. "The trick was nice," she stated. "I can imagine that it comes quite handy sometimes…"

He nodded. "Flame Alchemy is useful … but Kay had her reasons to hate it more than anything. Anyway, Jade, you fool took quite a risk … still, do what you have to do – and come back in one piece," he said as he got up and smiled at Laila. "Well, I believe we have a date with an ice rink if I remember correctly. I will just change quickly before we leave, okay?"

She smiled at him and he leaves the room with a genuine smile of his own to change into clothes which would allow him to skate without looking like a complete idiot.

* * *

Resembool was probably the last place where someone would have suspected Jade to turn to after leaving the capital in such a hurry but that was part of her plan. She was a true uptown girl after all, born into the high society and into a rich family which had been powerful for many years – and the small village Resembool didn't even qualify as a backwater town. There was no way in hell that she could live the life she was used to without her pearls and her diamonds. But Jade had assumed that she would be safe here. Her long hair was braided into many little strands, each bound by a little pearl and all of them restrained in some kind of ponytail. She knew that she looked even more like her aunt Izumi than usual but for the moment, she didn't care. She was way too occupied to care about something like that. She walked down the road and ignored the people who talked about her for she was used to it by now.

"…another stranger," a woman said to her friend. "And this one looks a little bit like the woman who saved the village during the big rain, some years ago. Hey, miss!"

Jade sighed before she turned around. "Yes?" she asked and the icy fire in her eyes started to burn once more. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Are you an alchemist?" another woman asked interested.

She nodded. "State," she added. "Lieutenant Colonel Jade Mustang, the better-looking, smarter and female part of Breeze. The nickname is Breeze Soul. Another question?" she sighed.

"Mustang … Mustang…" the woman who had noticed her first frowned. "Related to the Hero of Ishbal?" she asked suddenly. "Colonel Roy Mustang?"

Jade's face darkened. "Yeah," she muttered, "but he hates that nickname and I really advise to call him never by that name. It's the one thing then a comrade calls him that … but civilian should never call him that. The name was given to him by his squad … because he protected them."

Another woman giggled. "There was a rumour during the war, right?" she stated. "That the Hero of Ishbal and the Hawk's Eye share some past…"

Jade was in the business since nearly six years and she was able to recognise a former soldier when she met one. She sighed before she raised her eyebrow. "Which rank and which commander?" she asked with a little frown of her own. This woman had been obviously one of the lucky ones who had been able to get out after the war.

"I was a sergeant under the command of Major Armstrong," the woman said before she added another word: _"madam."_

The sarcasm was obvious but Jade had dealt with people who hated the military before and since she was one of them, she could smile had the trial to insult her. "A great man, that Armstrong," she said with a smirk, "and quite a talented dancer."

"What are you doing in that peaceful village?" the former sergeant asked.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "I am on a leave," she said, "but my superior asked me to check on one of his subordinates. I don't intend to stay long because I have another mission."

"So … you came to check on Edward Elric, right?" the first woman asked.

"Do you know another fool who became a dog of the military at such a young age?" Jade asked before she walked on. She saw the infamous yellow house in front of her and for a minute, she stopped and stared. It was hard to believe that this was the home of the most famous automail mechanic in whole Amestris. She walked a little bit away from the path and slipped on her black gloves as she noticed the guards on the backside. A little smirk appeared on her face as she hid behind a tree. She would wait for the night to give her cover because she was used to play it safe and she would never attack a unknown building openly – even if she would have a partner to help her by covering her back.

* * *

Roy was surprised and really happy when he noticed that he was still able to skate on the ice without falling down or looking ridiculous and mentally thanked Serena and Riza for teaching him back in their youth. Laila did quite a good job too but since she was really young and gifted with the skilfulness of her mother – even if Riza wasn't really the girl's mother – he wasn't surprised. They skated across the ice side by side and Roy came to the conclusion that he could really relate to the happiness Maes felt whenever he was hanging out with his Elicia. Of course, Laila wasn't his daughter but since Charles was gone forever, Roy decided that the girl needed a father-figure and he would gladly comply. She was laughing and she seemed to be so happy that he wondered when Riza had had the last time the chance to spend a day with her daughter and just doing something funny. He cursed Bradley for making it nearly impossible to Riza to do something she really wanted to. He cursed the bastard for everything he did to Riza and Laila because that was quite a lot.

"Alright, princess," Roy said as Laila's pale cheeks were red. "Let's grab some hot cacao."

She grinned and took his hand as they walked through the busy city. It was funny how she had open up to him over the past weeks. Of course, it had been a little bit awkward after realising that they had had a connection all along but still, Roy felt like there was a good chance that Riza would accept his second proposal … or at least, he kept telling himself that the odds were at his favour for once and that he wouldn't fail. Because failing had never been an option when it had come to Riza Hawkeye … she was too important to him. He sighed deeply. He had thrown her old ring away because he had been frustrated and angry upon reading her cold words. _I see, Riza._ Of course, it had been his fault, but still.

"Did you already buy the midwinter presents for your family?" she asked as they walked down the main street. "I need just a present for mommy. The other presents are already done."

He shrugged. "I was always terrible in buying presents," he admitted. "Ask Jade if you don't believe me. One year, I bought her a teddy bear … she was like twenty."

Laila chuckled before she froze. "They can't be serious, can they?" she asked. "_Coffee-to-go – now as a take-out?_ Honestly, what the hell is wrong with those people?"

He just shook his head. "There are people who aren't as smart as you," he said. "Well, what do you want to get for your mommy for midwinter, Laila?"

She bit her lower lip. "When we lived in East City, I saw a really pretty necklace at a jeweller's store and ever since back then, I am saving my money to get her such a necklace," she said. "I have half a billion cenz by now since my grandparents hadn't the time to go shopping before my birthday and gave me money." She shrugged. "I want to thank mommy for all the great things she did for me over the years … she never wants anything pretty for herself but I thought that I could give her something pretty for once … she has those old earrings her great-grandmother passed down to her and they would go really pretty with the necklace I saw…"

"Half a billion cenz?" Roy nearly fainted. "I am sure that you will be able to afford a really pretty necklace for her with such a large amount of money. Hey, maybe we should go and buy it together. There could be a little bit of trouble since you are a child and no usual child would have so much money and the wish to buy her mother something really pretty."

"I don't have the money with me," she said. "I brought it all to the bank because I was afraid that someone could break into our home and steal all my money."

"You are really your mother's daughter," he smiled as they headed towards the biggest bank in Central. "Riza always used to bring her whole pocket money to the bank too because she was saving it for something special. I never knew what it was."

She laughed as they entered the huge building. She crossed the hall right to a small woman with grey hair and smiled. "Elizabeth Grumman," she lied without batting an eye. "I need my money."

The woman looked up and frowned. "Aren't you a little bit young?" she asked worried.

Laila's teeth gritted. "Listen, Miss," she said calmly. "My great-grandfather wouldn't be happy to hear that I had trouble with getting the money I need to buy a present for my mother … and as far as I remember, he made sure that I could always get my money when I need it, right?"

The old woman paled a little bit. "Of … of course, Miss Grumman," she said and left in a hurry.

"You scared her," Roy stated but he wasn't really surprised. Laila knew what she wanted after all.

She shrugged. "The necklace will be expensive but mommy is worth it," she said with a smile.

"She really is," he agreed.

As soon as Laila got her money, she carefully put it into the little bag her great-grandmother had bought her for her fourth birthday and the strange duo walked down the street. They were already in the best part of the town, so it didn't took them long to find a store which sold the necklaces Laila was interested in.

They just hadn't noticed that they had been followed ever since they had leave Roy's house. The woman who was sneaking behind them was one of Madame Christmas' girls and she had been a little bit surprised when her so-called brother had left his house along with a little girl. The young woman's name was Amy and she was especially curious.

Roy who was oblivious of their follower was too occupied with helping Laila to pick out a pretty necklace to pay attention to his words. "I am sure that your mommy will love that necklace," he said as Laila looked at a really pretty collier made of platinum and diamonds. "She will love it."

The girl looked up to him and an adorable frown appeared on her forehead. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, I think that it's really beautiful too but what if mommy doesn't like it?"

He smiled reassuring down at her. "I am sure that your mommy will love whatever you give to her as a present," he said. "She will be really flattered and maybe she will say that you shouldn't have bought something that expensive but I have to agree with you when you say that she deserves something like that." He ruffled her hair. "And it would go really well with her old jewellery her grandmother on her father's side passed down to her."

Laila grinned a little bit. "You are right," she said. "And platinum and diamond are beautiful. It's a really good combination and it doesn't look too posh."

Amy behind the pillar frowned. What the hell was Roy doing? How did he know a girl who could afford to buy her mother such an expensive necklace? And how was the colonel related to the girl? Of course, since the Mustangs were still known as a rich and powerful family, he knew a good part of the high society through his cousins since Jade and Phil had dragged him to nearly every ball they ever visited. But still, the girl was far from being a debutante.

"Can I help you, Mister?" the shop-keeper asked as he came closer. "Searching a nice necklace for your wife? I have to say, your daughter is adorable! Really wonderful, a true gem among rocks!"

The girl frowned up at him. "I am searching a present for my mommy," she said.

"Okay…" the man gulped. "Maybe you would like to see something less expensive…"

Her frown became a glare. "I saved my money for that necklace and I have half a billion," she stated with a hint of anger in her voice. "I guess I can afford something expensive, right?"

* * *

Night fell sooner than Jade had thought and she got up. She stretched her body before she sneaked up to the house. She was nearly invisible in the darkness because of her dark clothes and she was fast enough to erase even the last hint of her existence. She sighed when she kneeled down behind the hedge and inhaled before the arrays on her gloves started to glow.

* * *

Edward was eating when a loud noise was heard. He got up and saw that there was someone or rather something like a shadow at the backside. Before he could wonder why Darius and Heinkel hadn't taken care of the enemy yet, he saw that they lay in the grass. "What the…" He stepped out of the house to check where the mysterious attacker was. Right then, a hand covered his mouth while another hand grabbed his automail and stopped him from transmuting.

"Excuse the rudeness, Major Elric, but I had no other option," a female voice said gently. "You can scream as much as you want to – nobody but me will be able to hear you."

The hand on his mouth dropped and he turned around. "Te…Te…Teacher?" he asked, shocked.

"The chance that Izumi would call one of us by his rank is non-existent," the woman said with a little sigh. "I am Jadelina Mustang alias Breeze Soul – a state alchemist with the rank of a lieutenant colonel. And I am not here to drag you back."

"Mustang?" Edward snorted. "Related to Colonel Roy Bastard?"

Her palm hit the back of his head. "Careful, Elric," she hissed.

"You hit me!" he yelled. "How dare you? I am just a helpless child!"

"Oh, I see that Roy never told you that all soldiers are the same to me," she muttered. "You are a major – so act like one for crying out loud!"

"In case you didn't guess it – I deserted."

"Don't lie to me, Major Elric. It is never a good idea to lie to a higher up. You went undercover, just like me. You would never desert as long as the gun is pointed at your girlfriend."

"My … my girlfriend?" he shouted.

"Yeah … Winry Rockbell … the automail mechanic who went missing some weeks ago. Roy-boy told me that she's your girlfriend…"

"I am going to kill that bastard! Telling such a lie – is he insane or something?"

"Careful, Fullmetal. Like I just told Izumi … I would kill everyone who wants to kill him."

"Izumi? Like in Izumi Curtis?"

"Yup."

"You … you know her?"

"Yeah."

"How do you now her?"

"My mother is her older sister, so she's my aunt."

"What the hell?"

"Please don't yell, I have still a headache from her call yesterday."

"She would never call a dog of the military!"

"She wanted to yell at Roy – and I yelled back."

"I am not surprised." He glared at her. "But I am not sure if I can believe your story. It's a little bit suspicious that you come to Resembool the day I came back. Maybe you are Envy or something!"

She shrugged. "I am no homunculus but you can call Izumi to tell you that I am her niece."


	19. Trouble on all lines

**Chapter 19: Trouble on all lines**

* * *

Edward sighed deeply as he bound Jade to a chair. She glared at him and if looks could kill, he would be at least six feet under by now. He made sure that the rope wouldn't hurt her hands and put her black gloves away to make sure that she couldn't escape. "Until we are sure who you are, you will have to accept this," he said with a shrug. "I will call Teacher."

"You really shouldn't leave me alone," she advised. "You don't know my file."

He smirked smugly at her. "You didn't fight back," he said, "and the rope is made of metal. I would really love to see how you want to escape."

"Be careful what you wish for," she warned. "It could become true."

"I could nearly believe you that you are related to the bastard," he muttered.

She hissed. "If you start to call me Lieutenant Colonel Bitch, I will kill you," she said. "And should you ever dare to raise your hand against someone I care for, you will get at my bad side."

He smiled at her. "I will keep that in mind – but I don't think that it would stop me," he said.

Her unbound foot kicked out and he flew back. "You should be careful around a veteran from the Western War," she said in a voice which made it obvious that she wanted to cross her arms.

He glared at her as left and she sighed. Foolish, foolish little boy. It was reckless beyond belief to assume that she would be rendered useless that easily. She wasn't out of the game yet. Her wrist moved against the metal of the rope until it started to bleed and she drew an array with her own blood on the rope. Half a second later, there was a light before her hands were free once again and she grabbed her gloves before she left the small room. Time to play it seriously.

She had been part of the special unit of the western army and her hand-to-hand combat was unrivalled by most people. Edward Elric would be no challenge for a state alchemist veteran like her. It would be an unfair fight but she rather played it safe.

* * *

"Hey, Sig!" Edward said cheerfully. "Is Teacher at home?"

He waited for a second before the familiar yet harsh voice came of the receiver. _'Yes?'_

"Good evening, Teacher," he greeted. "I captured someone who claims to be your niece. She has dark brown to black hair and nearly black eyes but I guess that they are blue or green…"

_'You captured Jade?'_

"He didn't," an amused voice said. "I let him capture me, aunty."

"The ropes were made of metal!"

"You are taking your nickname way too serious!"

**_'Edward, you tied my favourite niece up with a metal rope?' _**Izumi yelled. **_'Be happy that I am not there to slap you! Her sister will kill me when I tell her that my pupil captured her girl!'_**

"How the hell did you get free?" Edward shouted.

"I used my own blood like I did it whenever I was in such a situation before," she shrugged. "Well, Aunty Iz – I am your favourite niece now?"

_'Compared to your slutty cousin called Londres – always! And everyone would always agree with me! Your mother did a great job with raising you but your dearest sister Agnes failed!'_

"I love you too," Jade muttered in a quite sarcastic way.

_'I know.'_

"Did you hear something from Phil?" Jade bit her lower lip.

_'Yes – and you will see him sooner than you probably think right now.'_

"What do you mean?" the young woman's voice betrayed her fear and her panic.

_'He got in trouble, your idiot of a little brother. I sent him to Resembool.'_

Edward watched how Jade collapsed and grabbed the phone. "What the hell did you tell her?"

_'That her little brother got in trouble – __**again**__,' _his teacher said nonchalantly.

"There are two of them?" The Fullmetal Alchemist asked terrified.

_'Three – when you count Roy like most people who know them all do.'_

"How bad is her brother's injury?" he muttered while he looked at the scared woman.

_'He lost his left hand – but don't tell her yet. She had to see it – as hard as it may sound.'_ Izumi inhaled deeply. '_And her brother is a strong man … stronger than most. He will recover.'_

* * *

_He stared at her serene, motionless face. Now, in her weakened state, he couldn't hate her any longer. He had hated her before … and he wasn't proud of it. He had yelled at her, six hours before she had been kidnapped. Now, twenty day and twenty nights after the end of her nightmare, she was still unconscious. He hadn't left her side since she had been freed. Her wrists were bandaged but he knew that she would have scars from the ropes. She looked peaceful in her slumber, sometimes she would even smile. He felt sorry for her and nothing but self-hatred for himself._

_'I really wished I was an only-child!' he had yelled at her … now he wished, he could take it back. He stretched his arms but his eyes never left her face. Around them, everything was silent … most of the time, at least. Sometimes, a doctor would come in to check on her but most of the time, the twins were alone. He buried his face in his hands. Why had it been her? Why hadn't been he the one in the dark cellar, far away from the sun they both loved so much?_

_Until the second, the kidnappers had called their parents, he had hoped that it was nothing, that she was just too angry to come home … but when the call had came and he had felt incredibly guilty. Of course, he hadn't tied her up … but he had made her cry …_

_But now, he was there to lend her his strength. She would need it. And since it was his entire fault in first place, he would carry her pain. Whenever she would fall again, he would help her back up … she had just to take his hand and he would pull her through, even though the pain in her heart was maybe unbearable. He loved her … but for her sake, he had to stay away from her._

_He bent over and kissed her forehead. "I am sorry, my princess," he whispered._

* * *

Philippe Abel Mustang who was called Phil by everyone walked down the path the next day. He looked like his older cousin but his face looked a little bit more mature. But he was a broken man and everyone could see it. He sighed deeply as he reached the yellow house. It was Jade who opened the door and tears ran down her face as she hugged him without caring that he didn't hug her back. "Fool!" she yelled. "What the hell did you do this time?"

He raised his arm with the missing hand. "I am sorry," he whispered.

She slapped him hard right across his face before she punched him. "Idiot! Moron!" she yelled.

Greedling came up behind her and held her back. "Don't do something you will regret later," he said carefully. "He has such a handsome face – do you want to damage it permanently?"

"Yeah … she probably really want to … and let go of her," Phil said calmly. "It's a thing between twins … nothing an outsider will ever understand, I fear."

The homunculus frowned a little bit. "I thought she was your girlfriend," he said.

"No – elder sister," Phil shrugged. "Without her, I am honestly _soulless_."

She rolled her eyes before she slapped him again. "Damn you, Phil," she whispered. "You scared me to death, you idiot!"

He smiled gently at her before he hugged her again. "Sorry, Soul," he muttered.

"You don't mean it," she said. "What the hell did you do to lose your hand?"

"There was a grenade and I was a little bit too close," he said. "And I was one of the lucky ones who actually survived. I lost one of my lieutenants … and another lost his leg. It was an accident, Soul. I didn't try to get myself killed or whatever you assumed. Suicide isn't my style."

"And now?" her dark eyes showed no hint of warmth or sympathy with him.

"What do you mean, Jade?" he asked.

"What will you do now, idiot? I planned everything and I need you for my plan. You have four months – get an automail and let's get the party started." She turned away. "I know that you will need at least two years to get it under your permanent control, Lieutenant Colonel, but I really expect you to be able to use your alchemy in four months. Honestly, couldn't you lose your hand sometimes else? Sometimes when we aren't trying to get rid of Bradley? Your timing is hell!"

"I said that I am sorry, Soul!" he yelled at her. "But you were safe in Central City!"

She looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "Even if I sound like our dearest cousin right now – get up and move on, Phil. You won't get your hand back if cry now."

He grinned. "That why I am here. I want to continue to serve my country and I can't do it without both hands," he said. "Be happy that it was just the left one – I will be able to do my paperwork."

"Bastard!" she hissed at him.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Central City, Roy visited his Aunt Chris Mustang as Vanessa came into the room and coughed to get the attention. "There is a call for you, Roy," she said. "A really young girl … sounds really stressed … but she isn't crying or something."

He got up. "I see," he sighed. "I hope that she's fine." He took the phone and inhaled deeply. "It's Roy, Laila," he said calmly. "Did something happen?"

Vanessa was surprised because his voice was even softer than usual – and she was shocked when his face lost its entire colour. "She fainted?" he asked worried. "I am on my way, okay?"

Vanessa raised an eyebrow at him. "Who was this, Roy?" she asked interested.

"Laila, a good friend's daughter," he said. "Her mommy fainted, so I will go and check on them. The poor girl sounded downright scared."

"And you feel that responsible when your buddy's wife faints?"

"She is the friend I was talking of and she isn't married," he shrugged. "And I like both of them."

"Dou you know them well?"

"Nessa, should I ever decide to marry someone, you will be one of the first people to know all about it," he said. "I see you sometimes over the next week."

He rushed away, started his car and drove down the street. It didn't take him long to reach the apartment and ran up the stairs. His heart raced as he unlooked the door. Riza lay in the hall way, motionless, and Laila sat next to her. She didn't cry and seemed very composed.

"How long?" Roy asked worried.

She looked up at him. "Five minutes," she said. "I called as soon as I saw her. I didn't know what to do. Mommy has fever!"

Roy sighed. "Alright," he said. "Can you go and get some of her clothes and a bag for yourself?"

"Why?" she asked innocently as always.

"Because both of you will stay at my place until she feels better."

She didn't argue because she knew that it was better when she had help. She was as stubborn as Riza but since she was much younger, she was still too soft not to give in – and her pride was small. The girl got up and rushed away, running through the apartment to get the things.

"Urgh…" Riza's eyes opened slowly. "What…?"

"You fainted," Roy said carefully as he helped her to sit up a little bit and to drink. "Laila called me, so I am here. How do you feel, Riza?"

"Terrible," she admitted. "I am very tired."

"You can sleep in the car."

"In the car?"

"Yeah – Laila and you will stay at my place until you feel good again." He picked her up. "Don't argue with me – you honestly need a break."

She just nodded weakly and feel right asleep when he carried her down the stairs – just to run into her elderly neighbour, a woman in her late eighties who raised her crane. "What do you think you are doing to Miss Hawkeye?" the old woman asked angrily. "She is an honourable woman and just because you are military, you are not allowed to kidnap her!"

Roy sighed. "I of all people know that she is an honourable woman," he said, "but she is very sick and her father made me promise that I would take care of her when he was dying."

"Don't you dare to lie to me, young man!" the old woman yelled at him. "I can see in your eyes that you have an ulterior motive, so keep your hand to yourself! Am I understood?"

"Oh, so you suggest that I should drop her, right?" he asked. "Listen, madam, she had been very close to me over the past ten years, so I would be really happy if you would allow me to take care of my fiancée because she is really ill and I am worried about her."

"Fiancée?" the woman asked. "She doesn't wear a ring?"

He kicked himself mentally for setting himself up that way. "You see, madam, I didn't have the time to buy her a ring yet because I am really busy at work right now," he said. "And I promise you that I will do nothing to Miss Riza what she doesn't want to."

She glared at him a last time before she allowed him to move along. He carefully put Riza into the car before he went back to help Laila. The girl was obviously worried but she could keep herself together. Roy was really happy for this because he was really worried himself and he wasn't sure if he could deal with his own worries and her tears at the same time.

The drive back to his house was quiet since Laila was silent and Roy was used to her sudden silence by now, so he didn't try to force her into a conversation. She needed time to deal with it. She was still silent when they had brought Riza to bed and Roy decided to ask. "Are you scared?" he asked and kicked himself mentally once more since his wasn't his smartest move yet.

She nodded. "Is mommy going to die?" she whispered.

"Of course not! Why do you think something like that?"

"Edward's mommy died soon after fainting in the hallway!"

Roy decided at that point that he would give his youngest subordinate quite a lecture about his behaviour around a little child like Laila but before he could yell at Fullmetal for scaring Laila, he had to make sure that she would feel better. "Don't worry, little hawk," he said. "Your mommy just worked too hard and slept not enough. Three years ago, she fainted because she worked too hard and she is still pretty much alive. And Edward's mother had the Amestris-fever, an illness that killed nearly every person who got infected. Your mommy will be fine soon."

"I learnt in school that this fever was always lethal," Laila frowned.

"That's not true," he said. "I know at least one person who survived it – even if it was a close call. The doctors had given her up when she suddenly started to recover. It was your biological mother, you know? We thought that she would die but Master Hawkeye made something that brought her back to health. We never knew what."

* * *

_The order had come yesterday in the late hours of the evening but since she was such a good little girl, she left with the first train in the morning. Phil carried her suitcase as she left their flat in the capital of the Western Area. Her face was empty – it didn't betray any of her emotions but he __**knew**__. She was really easy to read when someone had known her since her birth – literally. He could read her jaded eyes and her fading smile like an open book._

_They didn't talk and when they reached her train, she turned to face him and for a second he considered to tell her how much she still meant to him but then again, it would be useless for her to know and would bring nothing but distraction. She hugged him for a moment despite knowing that he wouldn't hug her back. He still allowed her to hug him before he said coldly: "Don't act like we will never meet again. This is just the way it goes."_

_She nodded as she stepped back and took her suitcase. "We will meet again," she said as she boarded her train._

_The whistle blew and she was gone, leaving nothing but a trace of orange in the air._

_He bit back his tears because he doubted her words. It would hardly be so easy. She had been called to the same battlefield where her best friend had lost her life. But even though he knew, he forced a smile on his face … because after all, he could still love her while she was gone. It was even easier this way._


	20. A story

**A story**

* * *

Riza lay in the bed and a little smile appeared on her lips as she heard that Roy and Laila were in the living room and talked. She sat up a little bit and stretched. Yes, only heaven knew how much she had changed over the years. She hadn't been able to be the woman she had been after the war but she knew that she was a part of her being today and she was dealing with her life of those days. In the back of her mind there was a taste that lingers, even though the pain was gone. The burdens she had buried after the war – or no, the burdens she had burned down were past and all the reasons she had carried made sense now. And it was the bitterness of hunger for the things she had never had that made her fighting the beast in her head. She could still feel all her scars and fears today but she had learnt to deal with them properly. She would never be the same again. She knew that she would never be the girl from her youth again but while she had been running around while her knees were crumbling, suffering for freedom – she had grown up. And even though there were too many perceptions, too many wrong directions, she had made it somehow to a point where she could look back and say that there had been many mistakes but also many things which made worth it. And with every single tear she had cried over all the mistakes she had made, she had grown stronger day by day – and now she could see the light in her pain, the good side which nearly always exist next to the bad one.

Oh heaven knew she had been innocent in her youth and still, she had meant every word that she said. But she still heard Lynn's words in her ears when she closed her eyes: "So each and every hill has a valley and its thrill."

And Riza had come to the conclusion that no one owed her any sympathy because the only thing she had to deal with burned still in her. She would live to see Roy's dream come true, she was sure of it. But the memories of her past would stay, the good ones and the bad ones, even though she had changed.

She was happy that Roy and Laila got along that good. She had always known that she wouldn't be able to keep the secret from him forever and she had feared the worst, that he would feel betrayed and that he would be mad at her for not telling him something like this. But at the same time she had wondered what he would say when she would finally tell him that she had a child. She had expected much – but she hadn't count on the possibility that he would yell at her for not telling him that their last night in Ishbal had had consequences. He had dealt better with the whole situation when she had hoped. He had been calm and sweet about it all.

She felt how a blush painted her cheeks deep pink and at the same time she was quite happy that she was sick, so he couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or feverish. She inhaled deeply and smelled nothing but him. The blush darkened a few shades as she realised where she was. She had to be in his bedroom – a room she never had entered before. She looked at herself in the mirror and her cheeks were crimson when she realised that she was wearing a pyjama.

She sighed deeply. Well, even if Roy would have put her into the pyjama, he wouldn't have seen anything had hadn't seen before. It was still embarrassing.

The door opened and the man in question came in. He carried a bowl of soup and smiled at her as he sat down on the bedside. "Hello, Miss Scarlet," he said softly. "Laila is reading a book and I decided that you should eat something decent. Since I am terrible in the kitchen, I searched for something Jade cooked and I really found the soup! She had put it into the chest freezer and I just had to warm it up a little bit!" he announced. "And Jade isn't a good cook either but her soups are really great. She always cooks some litres when she visits me. I believe that my whole family thinks that I would starve if they wouldn't give me food on a regular basis."

She chuckled and accepted the soup. "It smells really good," she muttered. "Jade is a genius."

"Well, since Phil can burn **water,** someone has to cook for both of them!" he laughed and wrapped one arm around her. "And please remind me that I need to slap Edward for scaring the little Hawk when I see his obnoxious face the next time," he added with a dark face. "The poor girl was afraid that you would die because that moron told her that his mother died after fainting in the hallway. Oh, and he also told her that fathers were stupid because they always left. I mean … Martin left his kids because he was _murdered_, so maybe, you can see it that way but Hughes is a great father, for crying out loud! Jade's and Phil's father is a great guy too … not all fathers are failures – some of them are actually pretty good … and Fullmetal was dest Roy ing her idea of a good family. Honestly, I wished the boy would actually think before he opens his mouth."

She smiled at him while she ate the soup. "You know, you seem really worried about Laila's image of a good family," she stated. "Care to tell me why?"

He gulped. "Blame it on Hughes!" he said with a little grin. "He kept telling me over the past three years that a child needs a stable life without too much fear and that everything should be like in the books he reads all the time."

* * *

Jade's arms were wrapped around her fragile frame as she sat in the rain. She was not small, in fact, she was as tall as Roy but she was slim. She had hoped that it would wash her guilt away but it was a lost cause. She sighed and looked at the darkened sky without seeing anything but grey in grey. She knew that she looked probably liked a drowned rat but at the same time she tried to keep herself in control. She would not cry again even if there was no one to see her tears. The actual situation was nothing she had been prepared for. She had been too self-confident and now her little baby brother had lost his hand. She hit the earth and it was scary how much the pain in her hand distracted her from her self-hatred.

Suddenly, someone appeared right next to her and Greed collapsed at her side. "Beautiful weather isn't it?" he asked as he looked at her. "Doctor Rockbell said that the surgery is going well," he added. "Your little brother is a tough guy. Most men would be depressed after losing a limb but he already got up. You have to be very proud to call him a brother."

She snorted. "Phil knows his place," she said and turned her gaze towards the town, somewhere far away. "You know, I didn't want him to be involved. I … I would die if he wouldn't make it out alive. He is such a remarkable man … and I can't imagine him without his hands…"

He sighed. "The prince whose body I kinda overtook, he had a servant who cut off her own arm to protect him," he said. "He feels really guilty … so maybe, you should speak with him. He is a nice guy – even though he will probably request some food first."

She smiled but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Nice try to cheer me up but … I am down right now because I couldn't protect my own brother, my own twin. I left him behind."

Greed glared at her. "I would slap you if I wouldn't have vowed that I don't hurt women."

She sighed. "I promised my mother that I would always protect him," she said, "but whenever I turn my back to him to look at something else, he gets hurt."

"But he is old enough to live on his own," Greed said. "You are not his mother. You are not the one who has to look after him all the time. You are his equal. You need to lead him through the dark right now. He needs someone who shows him that his battle isn't lost yet."

She gulped as she got up. "Thank you, captain," she said. "You may be the captain of a sinking ship but you are still a good captain – since you don't leave the ship like a rat."

He shrugged as he looked at her. "Your make-up…" he said. "The rain washed it away."

Her hand moved to the scar on her face and covered it. "Oh … well … I was going back either way," she said and hurried away while the reddish scar burned like fire.

* * *

The evening came over Central and Roy and Laila had decided to join Riza for diner at the bed and now, after the meal, Roy was reading a good-night-story to the little girl that used her mother's chest as some strange kind of a little bit jealous but he smiled and read on.

"_…my beloved Lena_," he read with a sigh. "_I am truly sorry. If I had had a choice! If I just had the courage to fight it! I know that you didn't come to my wedding. I have to admit, I would have preferred to stay at home too. When I look back today, shortly before the probably biggest mistake of my life, and think of you, my butterfly, I regret that it never worked out the way it was supposed to. But what can I say? I am sorry. I miss you – even , we were never meant to say goodbye, because whenever we tried to let go of each other, we tightened our bounds. Even now – no, especially now, I don't say 'goodbye, my lover' because it's far from being over, believe me.  
Like a tree loses his leaves in autumn to survive the winter without being harmed, so do I have to say goodbye. But I don't want to. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you.  
Don't tell me that you love me. Just tell me that you forgive me,_

_L._

_PS: I would be really happy if you could tell Alessa that she was right whenever she called me an idiot. When I would tell it her myself, I would probably have a very tragic accident … and I am pretty sure that I wouldn't get up again afterwards … a really tempting idea, but I promised myself that I wouldn't throw my life away out of recklessness.  
Alessa may be right when she calls me an idiot, but even good old Ava, soul of Black Light, should accept what all of us are idiots, right, Lena? Don't we all do things we wouldn't do if not for the sadness in our hearts? Because I am sad right now. Sad about having to obey in the end of all the arguments. Marcus had told me way too late that I was making a mistake, centuries ago. But … 'C'est la vie' like an old friend of mine would say. All of us are making mistakes,Lena, and my biggest mistake was not to marry you when you were still younger.  
Ask Alessandra about the love that never ends and she will tell you: 'The only love that never ends is the love you feel for yourself and your goals.'  
But she is wrong, for the first time ever, because when I had to lose you, all those years ago, I couldn't look in the mirror because I would have killed the monster staring back at , I hate to order you to listen to your common sense but please, do nothing what could hurt Ivor. He would never forgive himself if you harm yourself.  
This letter, my sweetest Lena, should be our end but I won't let it be our end because as long as I am living, I will be waiting for you.  
See you soon, Luca._"

Riza sighed and smiled gently at Roy. "The book is so sappy," she said and frowned a little bit at him as she sat up and caressed Laila's blond hair while her free hand took the book.

"Of course it is sappy," he agreed, "but look at the story of the couple. He has been in love with her for the biggest part of her life but he couldn't act on his feelings because their families were enemies for at least three thousand years. She loved him too but she was bound by the rules of her mother." He ruffled her long hair. "Eventually they dare to act on it and are happy, but she is killed and it takes centuries until her soul is reborn again. They fall in love again but their young happiness is doomed from the very beginning because he is forced to marry a woman he doesn't love. And now he writes her a letter to tell her that he still loves her even though he knows that she will never be his again because she had chosen to leave all she has behind to become a better person because she thinks that the true reason behind his engagement with the stupid brat is that the other woman is rich and from a family who held the power for years."

"That would mean that she is really foolish," Riza said. "Look, didn't he tell her at least twenty times that he loves her? How can she not believe him? Hello, he saved her from that guy!"

"She doesn't believe him because she feels like she isn't worth his love," Laila threw in. "And that is maybe the strangest thing she ever said! Half of the times when they were a couple, he got himself in trouble and she saved him time after time. She _never_ let him down – even if he was stupid and reckless … and a complete idiot!"

"I really ask myself why Alessandra didn't stop the wedding," Roy said. "She knew that Luca still loved Lena and she hated Madison for **centuries**! She even killed her once, many years ago. And Alessandra is Luca's and Lena's friend. It is a question of loyalty to stop the wedding."

"She can't stop it because she can't go against the rules," Riza said. "If she would interfere with the wedding, the others would assume that she is trying something stupid again. And since she spent years on running away from the Council, I am sure that she wouldn't try it again."

"Still, she said at least thirty times that Luca is a brother for her and no one with a little bit of sanity would allow her brother to marry a stupid glamour girl like Madison," Roy said. "Luca wants to be king, right? So he needs a wife who has a mind of her own … and the will to fight with him. With a wife who is just interested in money and jewels, he will be lost. He needs a wife who happens to be his equal – and the stupid author explained the fact that Lena and Luca are meant to be at least eight times. So, why aren't they married by now? They should be married by now and some kids would be nice to! Honestly, if the author doesn't get them together in the next book, I will visit her and tell her that she destroyed all my hopes in a happy end for myself!"

Riza smiled. "You always indentified yourself with Luca," she said.

He smirked at her. "At least I am not forced to marry someone I don't love," he said. "And **_my_** Lena should know that I don't intend to let her slip away again."

She squeezed his hand. "I am really sure that she knows," she said.


	21. A Day Off

**A Day Off**

* * *

The next morning, Roy awoke at first. He got up without waking the blond females and took the phone. His plan was risky and slightly suicidal – because he wanted to inform headquarters of the sudden illness that had took First Lieutenant Hawkeye down. The danger wasn't even the call. The danger was blonde and sick right now. Roy hadn't the faintest hint of an idea how Riza would react upon hearing that he had decided that she wouldn't go to work but he feared that it wouldn't be pretty. He counted on the exact contrary.

"It's Colonel Mustang," he said as he was connected with Bradley. "Hawkeye is sick."

The Fuhrer huffed. _'And why doesn't she call herself?'_ he asked. _'Or is she too ill for that?'_

Roy bit his lip. "No, she could call but I decided that it would be the best to let her sleep in," he said. "And I gave her some pills to make her sleep through the night. And I also wanted to inform you that I will take my day off today to take care of her," he added. "And tomorrow I will work at home. She has fever and I don't trust her health to let her without care."

_'Well, she looked pale when she left yesterday, so I guess that it's the truth,' _Bradley said. _'She can have a week off. Honestly, does that woman ever sleep?'_

"She sleeps right now," he said and ended the call. He started the coffee before he stopped to check his pocket watch. What the hell was Bradley doing in his office at seven in the morning?

Laila was the next one to wake up. She shyly smiled as she sat down to eat and he felt a little bit better than usual when he ate alone in this room. She was still tired, so she didn't say much but she mentioned that she had to get to school and he offered to walk her over.

She was in the little bathroom down the hallway for seven minutes before she came out, neatly dressed but with her hair in a mess. She tried to brush it but it was a lost cause. Roy took the brush and the rubber bands from her and brushed her long, golden hair before he braided it. It had been years since he had done it for Jade but he was still pretty good at it since his cousin had never stopped to annoy him until her hair braid had been perfect. "There you go," Roy said.

Laila beamed at him and took her school bag. "It looks really nice," she said as she looked at her reflection. "I never saw such a braid before … where did you learn it?" she asked.

He sighed. "There was once a little girl with silken hair who said that her hair looked stupid in an usual braid, so she showed me that one and made me practice it until I could do it in my sleep," he said. "The little girl became a bigger girl and whenever I was around, I had to make her hair because she said that I was the best to make her hair look pretty." He patted her hair. "And now, the little girl is a young lady and tries really hard to make me forget that I ever made her hair."

"That's really sad," Laila said as they walked down the street. "Why did she do that?"

"The little girl grew up on me. She didn't need someone to make her hair when she was older and when she needed help, she asked one of her friends." He shrugged. "I kinda miss it, to be honest."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "If you want to, you can do my hair," she said.

He smiled. She was really like Riza; she always tried to make sure that everyone around her was fine. Maybe that was the reason why it was so easy to forget how young she was. She was a little bit shy when it came to people she didn't know at all but she was strong and would always stand up for herself when she felt attacked – like she had felt when he had ran into her, months ago. At this point, Roy knew that Laila was shy but since most people met just Elizabeth who was calmer and even stronger, it was fine. He preferred Laila over Elizabeth when he was honest. He had had a plan after the war and she hadn't been part of that plan but … fate had a funny way to make things work. She hadn't been someone he had expected but now, it was difficult to imagine a life without her. Maybe Riza would have married years ago if it hadn't been for the girl she felt so responsible for … Roy shuddered. The idea was terrible for him.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you do for me and mommy," Laila said as they were close to the school. "I mean … I wouldn't have known who to call if I hadn't had your number…"

He smiled as he patted her head. "You worry way too much, Laila," he said. "It's no big deal for me to look out for you and your mommy. She will probably be very mad at me afterwards because she hates the idea that she would disturb or bother me but I will live."

She smiled at him. "It's really nice to know someone like you," she said and he was touched by the honesty in her voice. She had maybe Kay's temper but everything else was like Riza because the woman who had raised Laila had left traces. That was maybe the reason why Roy liked her that much. She was had made Riza whole again after the war that had broken the young woman. And he was really happy that he could see a hint of life and cheerfulness in Riza's eyes when she was not at work. He had been worried that she could harm herself but it seemed to be quite the contrary. Riza seemed to feel better than most of the Ishbal-war-veterans did because she had something she could concentrate on. She had her daughter and that meant that she had a future. Under other circumstances, Roy would have maybe hated the person who had taken away Riza's affection from him but he couldn't hate someone who made Riza happy. And she **was** happy; he could see it in her eyes when she was around the girl. Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been such a fool and broken the engagement. Maybe both of them would be happy now. Maybe Kay would have left and maybe she would have made both of them guardian to her daughter, even though it was strange for Roy to think of Laila as of Kay's daughter because the girl was so much like Riza. Maybe, in that other life, Laila could have some siblings. He had always imagined his life with some kids because he liked children.

One of his first memories was the memory of sitting in his favourite aunt's living room and how she had put the little pink bundle called Jadelina Mustang into his arms. Her younger sister, Izumi, had been present too and she had said that it was the last evidence she had needed to prove the insanity of Abigail Mustang-Tempest, Jade's and Phil's mother. But Roy had looked at the strange little person in his arms and the little baby had smiled and she had wrapped her little hand around his finger. She had even smiled a little bit and her eyes had been open. She had had her green eyes since her birth but they had been paler back then. Roy had decided that she was his best friend now and when Izumi had tried to take her away, he hadn't give Jade back to her. Phil had been his best friend too but they had never shared such a deep friendship like Jade and Roy. Between Roy and Phil, there had always been some kind of rivalry and jealousy even though they had been friends. The problem had been that grandmother Mustang had considered her both firstborn grandchildren, Roy and Jade, as the prince and the princess of the family while Phil, Alec and Londres who had been born some years later had never gotten the same attention from her. Phil had dealt with it while Alec and Londres had been angry and tried to hurt Jade.

"Earth to Roy …" Laila said as she tugged at his sleeve. "You were far away, I guess."

He nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "I was just thinking of something what happened long time ago but it was something good," he added.

* * *

Riza awoke and sat up. She felt a little bit better than before but she knew that she was far from being healthy once again. She sighed. Life was way too complicated for her liking. She got up and walked through Roy's house before she sat down in the kitchen where food was on the table. She poured in a cup of coffee before she read the note.

_I am walking Laila to school. Don't worry; I have my gloves and a gun with me. And I already called headquarters to inform Bradley that you are ill. See you later, love, Roy._

She was painfully aware of the fact that she was probably grinning like an idiot as she read the note but who could blame her? It was Roy Mustang who had written that note, so it was nothing unexpected that Riza Hawkeye was grinning. She drank her coffee and ate a slice of bread before she returned to her book. It wasn't often that she could relax but she was under order to relax a little bit, so she hadn't much of a choice.

There was a reason that she had fallen for him, all those years ago. He had been charming and nice, of course, but he had been something special. He hadn't had a crush on Kay like most other boys had had before they had accepted that Kay belonged to Charles. No, Roy had liked Kay like a sister. And Kay had liked him too because he had been able to make Riza laugh. She and Maes had set them up on a date before the unholy trio (Charles, Kay and Maes) had left the town to join the army. Riza had fallen for Roy because he had seen her and not the mask she had worn even back then. She loved him because she knew that he was worth her trust and her dedication to his goal.

* * *

Izumi looked at the pictures of her family with a little smile on her usually hard face. She didn't agree with the choice for her niece and her nephews to join the military but she knew how stubborn and idealistic they were. For them, it had been a good idea even though Izumi considered it a waste of talent. She blamed it on her older sister, Abigail, who hadn't stopped her children after the war. Izumi herself would never have allowed her children to join the army. On the other hand, she could understand why Jade and Phil had chosen the path: they were loyal to Roy to a fault. They didn't see Roy as a perfect person but they felt responsible for him. And if Roy should lose it, they could stop him because fire didn't work that well if there was carbon dioxide around his fire. And Phil and Jade were both able to extinguish fire. They worked with gases and they were known for their double-attack when they combined their skills. No one had ever survived this attack and no one knew the details.

Izumi had always adored her sister's twins and she had been shocked when Abigail had told her that even the princess of the family and her brother had joined the army. Jade and Phil had been two children, Izumi had loved when they had been younger. She had babysat them without any complains because it had been no big deal for her to look after her sister's kids. And she had loved to be Aunty Iz. But now? She couldn't be Aunty Iz to a bunch of dogs of the military.


	22. Foreign Allies

**Chapter 22: Foreign Allies**

* * *

It was an interesting experience for all of them. Most of the next day was spent in Roy's bed. Laila way laying next to Riza and read a book while she ate the chocolate Roy had bought for her, Riza used her illness to finish the book she had started to read during the train ride to Central during the chaotic transfer and Roy was reading some old reports and signed them. The stack of papers increased with every passing second and even if he took breaks from time to time to get new tea for all of them, he had already caught up. He was determinate to get ahead with the paperwork for the next week to be able to afford some days off afterwards.

He shook his hand as he finished the last paper – before midday. "Soup again or shall I go and get something else?" he asked.

Riza looked at him. "You finished all your paperwork?"

"Don't make it sound like I never did it before!"

"You were never in time before!"

"Shh – don't tell on me," he laughed and leant over to kiss her cheek.

"I would like some rice or something Xingese," Laila said as she looked up.

"Alright, little hawk." Roy got up. "And take care of your mommy for me."

He ruffled her lose hair and put on his shoes as he left the room. The Xingese restaurant was close to his home and he was a known customer.

"Good day, Miss Li!" he said with a grin as he entered.

The owner and waitress, a petite woman with long, black hair, bound to heavy braids, replied the smile. "Mr Mustang," she said and bowed her head. "What do you need?"

She was pretty in her exotic way. Her eyes, partly hidden underneath her bangs were crystal blue and sharp while her heart-shaped face seemed kind and soft. She wore a red silken dress that did a lot for her slim figure and her bare arms were muscular. He had always had a hard time with figuring out how old she was but he had guessed that she was a little bit older than him – she was probably as old as Olivier.

"Oh, the usual Chop Suey for me, something a child could like with rice and fried duck with noodles and your famous Chop Suey," he said as he leaned back against the wall.

"Of course," she said and gave his order to a young cook. "It has been a while since I saw you, Mr Mustang," she stated with a little frown. "Busy at work?"

"You have no idea, Li," he said. "How was your month?"

She smirked at him. "My favourite costumer decided that his work is more important than a good meal," she laughed before she lowered her voice. "And the Xingese Emperor is dying," she added. "My month was full of trouble … and I worry for my clan, back at home."

Roy sighed. "I am no racist as you know, Li, but I can tell you that there will be hell in Central soon," he said. "Maybe you and Mr Wu should head back and live safe at home…"

She shook her head. "I am under Imperial Order," she said. "The Emperor's father, The Golden Emperor Jun Yao, ordered me personally to stay in a place where I feel comfortable."

"Emperor Yao?" Roy had a hard time not to smirk as he tried to imagine Ling in imperial clothes.

"Yes," she said with a little frown. "My father served under his command until his death. Emperor Yao is a healthy man, unlike his stupid Ming-son who became somehow emperor, twenty years ago." She shook her head. "I am a proud Yao but still, in my veins **is** Ming-blood, so I can judge both clans and even though our prince faints whenever he hasn't eaten enough, he will be a good emperor." She slammed her palms onto the counter, daring him to disagree.

Roy smiled. It was impossible to get a meal in the 'Golden Dragon' without being lectured by the owner. "So … you have contact to people in Xing who could sell me weaponry?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "My family owns the biggest enterprise that builds weapons," she said. "I can get you probably everything you need … why are you asking? Are you planning something?"

"Nothing serious … I was just wondering … there are many rumours in town right now … and I guess that it is the best to be prepared," he said. "And Xingese weaponry has a good reputation, so I was wondering if you could get me something … I need to protect my family after all…"

She smiled at him and grabbed a piece of paper from underneath the counter. "You know, Mr Mustang, we are delivering now all our meals to your house," she said. "Mr Wu decided that it would increase our income."

He took the paper and put it into his pocket. "Thank you, Li," he said.

"The name is Jun Li Wei," she corrected for the first time with a faint smile. "Imperial bodyguard and general of the Yao-army Jun Li Wei but I believe I lost my titles when Emperor Yao died in his sleep at the high age of eighty-nine. The Golden Dragon – god bless him," she added after a short moment of hesitation. "And your order is complete, Mr Mustang. Consider it as a welcome-back-present from the house."

"You don't need to make me feel guilty," he sighed. "Well, Miss Li, I will come back in some days."

"Or you can give us a call," she grinned. "The Old Man will be sad if no one uses his idea…"

"I like do come here personally because of the gossip, Miss Li," he smirked, "and because the food is probably the most decent Xingese food you can get on this side of the desert. Still, you know so many things which can come handy to me, so I really need to stop by sometimes."

She laughed. "And you keep away the bad guys," she said. "Come back soon, Mr Mustang."

He took the food and turned to leave. "Ah … wait a second, Wei," he said as he looked at her over his shoulder. "Would you mind to host a wedding reception sometimes next year?"

She raised an eyebrow before she started to chuckle. "We will see," she said. "Maybe I will be back at Xing next year … or maybe someone killed me… I don't know…"

He left the restaurant and her cheerful mask dropped a little bit as she turned around to face the old man on the stairs. "You should have stayed upstairs," she said while she suppressed the urge to kneel down as a sign of her utmost respect. "There could be people to recognise you, _master_."

He chuckled. "Oh, my dearest lily," he said amused, "you of all people should know that no one will ever suspect me to be alive … and even less people would say that I am in a restaurant, far away from my own palace, somewhere in a foreign country."

She checked if her weapons were still hidden underneath her dress. "So, master," she said. "That was Mr Mustang … and I have the feeling that he doesn't intend to defend himself. He is not the type who beats back when he is cornered. He is type who hits first…"

The old man sat down on a table. "Not unlike you, sweetest lily," he stated. "I remember a little girl who never let her trainer attack first … you always had to be the first … I believe that this is the reason why you are always such an amazing bodyguard…" he mentioned her to sit down in front of him. "Don't worry, lily," he said. "My grandson is a strong man and whatever will happen, he will find a way out of the mess." He took her hand and squeezed it. "So … let's get back to work," he said. "What do you think he will need?"

* * *

_"…how are you holding up so far?" the voice of the male Breeze Alchemist was strangely cool and distanced as he spoke. "It has been a while since __**that**__ day after all."_

_Edward froze as he passed the door and stopped for a moment._

_"Not half as good as I expected," Jade replied tiredly as she put something onto the desk. "It's a strange feeling, you see? It's the emptiness of my heart and the pointlessness of my mission that worries me the most. I knew that it would be hard for me … but I didn't know that it would hurt like this. Where is the point in getting stronger if I failed to protect those I cared for?"_

_"To hear those words from you…" her brother snorted. "What happened to you, Jadelina? Where's your confidence, your spirit, your fire? Did you really give up, girl?"_

_"I was always compared to a Drachman Blizzard," she said softly. "I don't know about warmth and fire. You of all people should know that, Philippe. I am cold … and that's good because it allows me to stay rational even when I am so angry that I could kick this planet off its axis."_

_"You have strict orders to keep calm, remember this," he stated coldly. "Your display of emotion during the funeral tipped a few people off that you might be out to get your revenge, Jadelina. Be careful and take care that it stays a vague suspicion. This might be the only chance we have to overthrow Bradley – so don't mess it up. Understood?"_

_"You don't have to tell me of the importance of this mission," she said darkly. "I know it better than you do after all. And yes, I won't compromise the mission. I swear it on my honour – and on my watch. I will avenge Lynn and Martin – when the time is right, not a moment earlier." She sighed. "But what about you, Phil? How are you holding up now?"_

_"She has been gone for too long to still mourn her death … and she wasn't murdered the way Lynn and Martin were killed. She died on the line of duty and not in some dark alleyway on her way home. So I can be proud of her. I still miss her, of course."_

_"You keep protecting yourself by saying that you don't care."_

_"Aren't you doing the same thing, Jadelina? That arrogant woman – that's not the real you."_

* * *

Prince Claudio of Aerugo was a handsome man with reddish brown hair and an amazing smile. But he hadn't come to Amestris because he wanted to find a wife or a girlfriend. He had to visit someone who shared the friendship to the late Steel Rose.

"First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye?" a pretty woman with the rank of a second lieutenant looked at the prince with a mixture of worry and jealousy. "I don't know where she lives but maybe you should ask Colonel Mustang, Your Majesty. He is very close to her … and the rumour is that they are a couple in secret," she added with an afterthought. "I am sorry that I couldn't help you."

The prince just smiled. "Well, I have time to hunt her down," he said with a shrug and entered the building. He wore civilian clothes and for someone who didn't read gossip papers, he looked like a harmless man who wanted to speak with Colonel Mustang. He wasn't noticed until he entered the office of the colonel.

A second lieutenant with black hair looked up from his paper. "If you want to speak with the colonel, he isn't in today," the soldier said. "He called in this morning and said he had some trouble at home and that he couldn't come today."

"I bet he couldn't get rid of his hangover yet," another man threw in.

Claudio sighed. "Why is everyone in this country running away from me?" he complained.

The black-haired man shrugged. "What do you need from the colonel?" he asked.

"I am under orders of the late Major General Kay Hawkeye Hamilton and her husband," Claudio lied, "and everything I need to talk over with the colonel is strictly personal and private."

"I hope that the late Lightening Star doesn't try to blackmail Mustang out of her grave," a man with messy brown hair said. "They were always close … I just hope that she didn't get pregnant."

He shouldn't have said that … _they_ shouldn't have said that. The woman who stood in the door hadn't greeted or hadn't said anything to make her presence known to them but she had listened. Now, she coughed. "**Insubordination**," she said with an icy voice.

All the men in the voice, including the prince, turned around. The woman was no one less than the actual second-in-command, Lieutenant Colonel Jadelina Mustang. Her uniform was in a mess but her eyes held all the strength she needed to keep the men in line. She closed the door behind her and her gloved palms hit the flat surface of her desk as she looked at them with anger.

"Ma…_madam_!" the black-haired man said shocked. "We thought you were on a leave."

"You are right; I _was_ on a leave," she hissed. "And now I come back and the first thing I hear is that you are speaking ill of your commander." Her eyes shone with fire and Claudio was a little bit surprised when he saw the effect of this on the soldiers who crumbled. The young woman glared at them before she looked at her silver pocket watch. "I will file in the report in half an hour," she said. "Until then, I don't want to see any of you. The colonel will hear of this, believe me. Honestly, back in the West, no one would ever dare to speak of a commanding officer that way." She shook her head. "All of you are dismissed."

Claudio waited until her order was fulfilled and bowed. "Madam, I am searching for a certain Riza Hawkeye and someone told me that Colonel Mustang would most likely happen to know where she is," he said. "And now I wonder if you could tell me where I can find the colonel."

She sighed deeply. "I should work now," she muttered, "but family is more important when work. Alright, I can lead the way," she said and took a stack of papers from the desk before she froze. "He did my whole paperwork?" she asked. "Is the guy ill or something?"

Claudio had rarely met women with such an intimidating attitude. Of course, he had known and liked Kay but Jade was something else, something colder, something more focused. "I gladly accept your offer," he said with another bow, "but I have to admit that I didn't get your name."

She snorted. "The name is unimportant," she said, "but if you really want to know: Jadelina Mustang … but most people call me just Jade."

"Related or married to Colonel Mustang?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Like I would ever marry such an idiot," she stated. "He is my cousin."

* * *

At the same time, Riza, Roy and Laila were eating their lunch while Roy was telling them a story of his glorious days at Tempest Manor in Barely where he had spent a good part of his childhood. The manor belonged to his uncle, Jade's and Phil's father, who had made his money with jewellery – and he had loved it because it had been a house full of laughter and music.

"Your poor aunt!" Laila laughed. "I mean, how could you put a frog in her bed? That was mean!"

"I rarely saw Izumi that angry," he chuckled. "And of course, Jade took the full blame for everything … she had to learn the whole system of alchemistic symbols as punishment."

"Nah, I am not sure if that qualifies as a punishment," Riza said. "I am pretty sure that there will be a day where she will say: 'I am so grateful that my aunt made me learn all the symbols because I can figure out this code now'." She shrugged. "You can never know when you will need something … and sometimes, a former punishment can be quite helpful later on … or maybe it would sound better when I say that something bad can cause something good."

"I can give you at least one example where the mistake had no good side," he said. "When I broke up with you, six years ago, it just caused pain on both sides. Give me something good on that."

She frowned before she shrugged. "If we had married back then, I wouldn't have continued to serve in the army and Scar would have killed you," she said. "And I had you rather alive and not at my side than dead and my husband, sorry."

"You are really a good person," he said. "You are sacrificing your own happiness for other people even though most of them doesn't deserve it … you are crazy…"

"I am happy," she said. "You remember what Lynn used to say? 'So each and every hill has a valley and its thrill'," she quoted. "And you were the one who said that she was a stupid know-it-all without a life and too much brain, right? So … don't you agree with her?"

He sighed. "I liked her," he said. "She was funny and friendly … not so quiet like Serena…"

"She was the best partner-in-crime I ever had," Jade said from the doorway before she crossed to him and took his chopsticks away to steal a bit of his food. "The food is great," she stated.

"Go to the 'Golden Dragon' and get your own," he said and grabbed the chopsticks.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she muttered. "I brought someone who wants to speak with Riza – speaking of her … why isn't she at work?"

"I am ill," Riza said, "and Roy was so nice to offer me to stay here until I feel better."

Jade raised a brow before she handed Roy some paper. "I intend to report the morons you call your subordinates because of insubordination," she said. "I need your signature before I can hand it in. I believe it's time for me to show them that I have a clear idea of how a subordinate has to work!" she added with a dark frown. "And there is someone who wants to speak with you."

Claudio entered the room with a little bow and took a little book from his bag. "I am really sorry for barging in without a warning but I need to act fast," he said. "Mrs Hamilton-Mayer told me that I should make sure that her cousin, Miss Riza Hawkeye, and her old comrade, Mr Roy Mustang, get some very important documents." He inhaled deeply. "Mr Mustang, the notebook is for you. She said that you would be able to understand it." The prince passed Roy the little black notebook. "For you, Miss Hawkeye, Kay had a letter. I am not sure if she knew that they were that close behind her … but she gave me all those things the morning before she and Charles were shot in my own library. I am really sorry for your loss."

"In the official report was written that they were poisoned," Jade threw in. She stood leaned against the counter and had her arms crossed over her chest.

"I was the one who found them, Miss Mustang, and they were shot," Claudio said. "What do you think why the coffins were closed when they brought them back to Amestris? A hole right between the eyes is nothing nice to look at, wouldn't you agree?"

She scoffed. "So … another report full of lies," she stated with another frown.

"What did you expected?" Riza asked. "If they would tell us, what is really going on, they would give us information we could use against them. No, they need to keep us in the dark, right?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Olivier entered the cellar where some of her bears already sat and played cards. Only Buccaneer sat in the corner and stared at the floor. She felt a rare hint of sympathy with the man and walked over to put her hand onto his shoulder. "How do you feel?" she asked.

He closed his eyes for a second. "Angry," he said. "I feel angry because … because … you know…"

She nodded as she sat down next to him. "It wasn't your fault," she said. "Briggs is dangerous and she knew that from the very beginning, Hakon." Using his first name was foreign for her but she knew what he was going through right now. "She wouldn't want you to mourn her that way."

He sighed deeply. "I never gave her the ring I bought," he said.

She gulped and looked away. "She knew that you loved her," the Ice Queen said. "She knew it and she loved you too. She was always trying to keep you out off trouble."

He laughed bitterly. "I knew … but still … I wonder why it had to be her? Why not me? She was on my post … I should have been the one to get killed by that strayed bullet…"

"Your guilt won't make her alive," Olivier said. "It was a terrible year for their family. It took less than eight months to bring all of them down. Mermaid … Silver Star and Lightening Star … they all went down … but they went down with their head held high." She got up. "Major Hamilton was a wonderful soldier and I miss her greatly because she fulfilled all my orders in time … but I can accept that her strength couldn't protect her from a bullet that hit her back."

He turned to look at her. "What would you have done if it had been Miles?" he asked.

She froze. "The same thing we are doing now," she said. "We will avenge our fallen comrade. If the guys in Central honestly believe that they can kill my state alchemist, they are in for a big surprise. Serena Hawkeye Hamilton was a wonderful person and Briggs will always miss her."

* * *

"You have to read the letter if you want to know what Kay had to say," Roy said. They were in the living room while Laila, Jade and Claudio were in the kitchen.

Riza stared at the letter like it was some dangerous illness. "What, if she hated me?" she asked.

"Hello? It would have been out of character for her to hate you," he said. "She loved you more than she loved her own sisters, did you forget? She was always worried for you…"

Still, he could see in her eyes that she was scared. Kay had been her closest friend since she had been born and he couldn't even come close to imagine how much it had hurt her to hear that her partner-in-crime was gone forever. Hell, even he had had a hard time dealing with this.

Riza carefully took the letter and stared at the elegant handwriting of her fallen sister-in-heart. She gulped as she opened the envelope and bit her lip as she started to read it.

_Dear Riza –_  
_It has been a while since I have been able to write you a letter, right? I am writing today because it's the anniversary of your graduation. And – hell – I can still remember that day like it was just yesterday. Can you remember it too? Somewhere, in the back of our mind, you should have the memory. You tried to hide it but your hands were shaky, right? And the crowd around us went wild as the old headmaster came up to the stage. (I never saw him as some kind of pop star but maybe I was just too blind to see his awesomeness.) Riza, whatever happened, you were our noble queen. You weren't selfish like me or Serena. Your character wasn't flawless but your soft side put all of us to shame. Ah … I love to revive this old memory, honestly. You looked so serious and so beautiful in your uniform when they read off your name and you went up to the stage … I was so proud of you, really. And after the ceremony … you remember how we danced through the house? Uncle B. hated it, I am sure of it. But that night … we danced like we knew that our lives would never be the same. It was a great time and I still miss it. I miss you, I really do. I miss to see you walking through the crowd with your head held high … like the hero on a history book page. And to quote our dearest head girl: "It was the end of a decade but the start of an age."_  
_I knew that I would leave the day afterwards. I am sorry if my decision hurt you._  
_Lynn was shouting that all of us would be remembered one day … and I guess that I wanted to be remembered when I joined the army._  
_Nowadays, I sit in Claudio's pretty living room and pass the pictures around. (Yes, I admit, I became a second Maes over the years. Deal with it.)_  
_I was not afraid when I left. I was so sure that my plan would led me through the chaos … and that I would make it out without a scratch. I was sadly mistaken, I know it now. The scratches became scars, marring my hope and my soul forever. I won't try to make you pity me. I just say how it was when I decided to give Laila to you. I was angry and I hated myself. I wanted the best for our country and ended up slaughtering a peaceful people who never intended to harm us._  
_And after the war, when they forced us into a goodbye, I was sorry. Not for me because I had the chance to have a new life in Aerugo. I was sorry for all the chances we never took._  
_If you have children, if Laila has sibling someday when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name and that I was the biggest fool you ever met. (If Roy still claims this honour for himself, smack him from me.) Tell them how the crowds went wild when old Mr Wilkinson appeared. And tell them how I hope they shine like we used to do that fateful day._  
_And sometimes, when the silence is quiet enough, I can still hear us singing "Long live all the mountains we moved" – god, we were so pathetic back then, so full of dreams. And, Riza, don't blame yourself for anything what happened to me. I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you and the rest of the girls._  
_And if you can take a moment, promise me this: that you'll stand by his side forever – I have the feeling that this guy will need someone to keep a hawk's eye on him._  
_Even though I left Amestris behind, I will be damned if I abandon my old friends. I never deserved people like you. I wasn't good enough to have friends who are so loyal. And you, Riza, you were the most loyal out of them. I am so grateful for all the years you honoured me with your friendship and your kindness. When I decided that I would leave my daughter behind, you were the only person in my mind when I thought about her guardian because you were the only one who understood me and Charles – besides Roy but I couldn't bring myself to do that to him._  
_Love, __**always**__,_  
_Kay_

Riza smiled and was happy that she didn't cry over this letter. It was more than a letter to her. It was the embodiment of everything Kay had been once upon a time when they had been careless and so sure that fate would make the things work like they thought they were supposed to.

Roy wrapped his arm around her shoulder as her body started to tremble before she finally collapsed onto the floor, laughing like she hadn't laugh since the war. Some had say that Kay had been more than an _ordinary_ _human_ – and even though Riza had rolled her eyes on these rumours, she would agree know because … well … Kay had always had a special way to explain the way she saw the world. Kay had been someone who had seen light in the darkest night, someone who had always found a reason that had made a fight sound reasonable. And even after her own death, she could touch the heart of those dear and close to her.

"You are scaring me right now," Roy said and held Riza close as the laughter slowly died.

* * *

Nearly everyone in Central City knew the Golden Dragon because even though it was small, it was famous for the great meals. It was frequented by many officers and the owner, Jun Li, former bodyguard of Emperor Jun Yao, was known for her strict regiment and her discretion. It was a known fact that she didn't gossip but it was also known that she possessed many information. That was the reason why Fu, bodyguard of Prince Ling Yao, decided to visit the Golden Dragon upon his return to Central City. He had heard that the owner was discreet to a fault but he had learnt that people usually couldn't wait to tell him everything they knew as soon as they had a sword on their throat. Fu didn't know about the woman's past and maybe he had thought of a better strategy if he had known that she had served under the former emperor himself since she had been eight. So, he entered and sneaked up on her.

The old emperor who was aged ninety-three at the time Fu entered the restaurant, yelled a short warning in Xingese and time froze was the woman's feet drove backwards and she turned around. Her right hand flew to her head and she unsheathed a thin knife she had hidden in her hair as she turned around, just to recognise the old bodyguard and to bow. Fu froze and his jaw dropped as he recognised her. "Granddaughter!" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here, running some restaurant? How could you leave Xing and your duty to do something like that?"

She didn't answer and her eyes were trained on the older man who had warned her. He got up and walked over. "She is still fulfilling her duty," the former Emperor said amused. "It has been a while since you brought her father – may the Dragon bless him – to serve under me, Fu…"

The bodyguard's eyes widened and he bowed quickly. "Your Majesty…" he whispered.

"No, I am not longer an emperor," Jun Yao said. "The people here call me Mr Wu and I am the co-owner of your granddaughter's restaurant. And we are happy here. The pressure is gone and we can live the life we want to have. Jun is doing a great job distracting the stuff from my true identity and I can read all day long … it's a much better life than the life of an emperor."

Fu paled. "My Emp-" he noticed the glare and corrected himself. "Mr Wu, we thought you were dead. I even attend your funeral … how can you be alive?"

The older man shrugged. "It got boring and I decided that it would be better for me to have a life where I can decide what to wear and what to do. Being emperor made me tired and I wanted to life a little before my death … Jun," he looked at the young woman with a fond smile, "was always my most trusted bodyguard after her father's death and since I knew her since she took a sword in her hand for the first time, I considered her as loyal to me and not loyal to the throne." He sighed. "She did what I expected her to do: she didn't turn me in. She helped me fake my death and afterwards, she didn't surprise anyone as she decided to leave the court for good. We took enough money to buy a huge mansion but we decided to keep a low profile and to run a shop."

Jun Li braced herself for the slap she expected from her grandfather for betraying her country by helping the emperor to escape but the slap never came. She looked up and saw that her grandfather slowly shook his head. "Brilliant," he said. "Absolutely brilliant, Jun Li, you followed your master's orders without hesitation and tried your best. You put his wish over everything else … I have to admire this, really. Most bodyguards would have run to the Council but you showed nothing but loyalty to your master."

The old emperor chuckled. "I never had the chance to have a normal life with all the duties and all the rules but as soon as we bought the house and started to plan our restaurant, I felt so free … I feel better now than then I was thirty!" he patted his bodyguard's shoulder. "And we are running a weaponry store in the cellar," he added. "So, if you need new weapons, tell us! It's all on the house, Fu, because Jun Li never allows me to show any gratitude for her service."

She glared at him. She had served under him since she had been six and now she was in her twenties. She knew how to put up with his antics but still, sometimes she wished he would be more careful. She would follow him through hell though.

* * *

Time passed and Riza's health improved. She went back home and Roy started to miss her presence. He was close to suggest that she and Jade should trade places but he knew that it was safer for all of them if they kept a certain façade. Laila stopped by regularly, passing letters from her mother to Roy and the other way around and sometimes, Roy woke up after a nightmare and took one of the letters to calm down. It would be even better if Riza would be there but for the moment, it had to do. He had a hard time figuring out Kay's notes because the crazy woman had a even stronger code than her late uncle but he had already figured out that it was her complete theory on Lightening Alchemy which had been her trademark for years.

Slowly, they came back to a certain degree of normality but still, Roy ate at least once a week at Riza's place. The rest of the week, he got his dinner at his favourite Xingese restaurant.

"How is Mr Wu?" Roy asked while he waited for his food. "I haven't seen him in a while…"

Jun Li smiled. "He is in the cellar, working on some new recipes," she stated while she took the piece of paper with the weaponry he ordered. She checked it and a faint smile crossed her face as she nodded. "The choice is wonderful," she said. "Yes, I am sure that we will be able to produce all of it until the scheduled day. We will deliver all of it to Havoc Sundries like you want to."

He sighed. "Thank you very much," he said. "And did you think about the opportunity to host a wedding diner, Li?" he smirked.

"Well, I would like to meet your bride-to-be first, Mr Mustang," she shrugged. "We cook for many people … but I decline to host the wedding of a woman I personally dislike. You are a good man, Mr Mustang, but many good men have a terrible taste in woman if you excuse my rudeness."

He pouted. "Can you honestly expect me to have such a bad taste?" he asked.

She smirked. "Mustang, even tough I am working really hard, I get days off from time to time and I can promise you that I saw you more than once with terrible women in town," she said. "And if you honestly consider marrying one of them, I shall declare you as insane."

"I never thought that you were the type of woman to enjoy a night out," he muttered. "You are more the type who stays at home and reads a good book or something…"

"I wouldn't know so much gossip if I would stay at home," she said. "Well, Mr Mustang, care to tell me how much truth is in the rumour that you and a certain fair-haired woman are really close?"

He had a hard time not to blush. "First Lieutenant Hawkeye?" he asked. "How do you know…?"

"Brigadier General Llewellyn and Major General were discussing the topic over lunch today," she said with a wink. "So, Mr Mustang, I really hope that you don't mess this one up because I have the feeling that the both were already plotting your death should you fail…"


	23. Confusion and the return of a question

**Confusion and the return of a question**

* * *

Madeline sat on Roy's couch after on of their information-exchange-"dates" and he was in the kitchen as the doorbell rang. She saw how he checked his pocket watch and how he started to smile as he went to the door. He opened and a small girl, maybe a little bit older than seven years, entered. She carried a basket full with food and a little bag. "Hello, Roy ," she smiled and handed him the basket. "Mom was worried that you wouldn't eat any decent food this week, so I decided that I could stop by on my way. I hope that you don't mind, seeing that you have already a guest." She turned her smile at Madeline. "Hello, Miss," she said.

"Of course I don't mind," he said. "How was school today? Have I to speak with someone?"

She shook her head. "You could say that I got promoted," she beamed and her missing milk tooth in the front became visible. "Mommy talked with the head teacher yesterday and she said that he said that there was already someone who called them…" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you mind to explain why you called my school and made them put me a grade higher?"

"You were bored at school and it had no worth for you," he said, "so it really can be that I kinda called your headmaster to tell him that it could be probably a good idea to 'promote' you." He smirked. "And it finally got you away from Selim, so school will be more relaxing now."

"Thank you," she said. "I am really happy, you know. My new class comrades are nicer."

"So … I believe a little celebration is in order," he said. "I am sure that I have still a little bit of your favourite lemonade in the refrigerator. Wait here, I will get it for you, Miss Sunshine."

Madeline coughed to get the girl's attention. "I really love your coat," she said. "It is very cute."

The girl beamed at her again. "Great-grandmother Charlotte made it and Aunty Olivier bought the buttons in North City because granny couldn't find nice ones in West City."

"You are really not shy, right?" the hostess smiled. "And your smile is adorable – you like to smile and to laugh, yes? Oh, I believe I forgot my manners," she interrupted herself. "My name is Madeline – I work for Roy's aunt. Who are you, little miss?"

The girl hesitated but before she could say something, Roy's voice came from the doorway. "It's Elizabeth's daughter, Maddie," he said. "Madeline, meet Lizzie who is a splitting image of her mom and who makes all of us very proud because she beat the Fuhrer's son in every test."

"Since you never introduced us to Elizabeth, I am really happy to meet her daughter," Madeline said friendly. "And don't you think that her coat is really pretty?"

"She has only pretty clothes," Roy said with a shrug. "Well, Liz, I am really happy that my call saved you from being a classmate of Selim any longer since I don't trust him." He handed her the glass and grabbed his own from the table. "Cheers to you. Your grandfather would be so proud of you if he could be here to see this."

She beamed at him as she downed her drink. "Oh, before I forget – I ran into Aunty Gracia on my way to your place and she asked me to make sure that you don't miss diner next Sunday," she said. "And mommy said that I should tell you that Uncle Kain is fine. He called her yesterday and wanted to let you know that the South didn't kill him yet." She lowered her gaze. "That was all!"

He sighed. "I was worried for his safety," Roy said. "He is the youngest of the inner circle…"

She nodded. "Mommy was really happy when he called," she said.

"Yes, they are good friends," Roy agreed. "Well, little princess, when are you coming over for lunch the next time? Your mommy is always at work at that time both we have nothing to do…"

She shrugged. "Whenever you have the time to meet for lunch," she said.

"Tomorrow at twelve?" he asked with a smile. "It's your free afternoon and we could go for a walk before you have piano lesson…"

She beamed at him. "At twelve," she agreed. "Eh … _where_ do we meet?"

"I was thinking about picking you up at school," he shrugged. "And the Golden Dragon is always a great place to eat, believe me."

She offered him a last grin before she grabbed the empty basket, bid her goodbyes and left.

Madeline looked at Roy over the rim of her glass. "I never pictured you as the fatherly kind of guy," she stated. "But it really fit you, honestly, Roy . You seem to be at ease…"

He froze. "As the 'fatherly kind of guy'?" he repeated. "When did I become Hughes?"

"Roy …" Madeline sighed. "You are acting like daddy number one in case you didn't notice – and don't tell me that you didn't notice because I would be really worried if you didn't." Her face softened a little bit. "You never mentioned that Elizabeth was married … or that she had a kid."

He glared at her. "I will kill you if you tell it the Madame," he warned. "Elizabeth adopted the girl nearly six years ago from her cousin who had to leave the country. I never knew until I got transferred to Central and met the girl. And since Elizabeth is really dear to me, I help her to look after the little princess because poor Eliza has a lot of work to do."

Jade came in and closed the door behind her with a lot of noise. "I am back," she announced.

"I can see that you are back," Roy stated. "But I am still wondering what you are doing back in town."

She huffed at him. "Some of us are more than a bunch of spineless state alchemist," she said. "And I can pride myself to be more than a spineless woman. I came back because my mission out of town was complete. I found Phil and when I left him, I made sure that he would recover."

Her cousin frowned. "It's not your style," he said.

She glared at him before she rushed away.

* * *

The next evening, Chris Mustang frowned as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Roy didn't come today," she stated. "I haven't seen him in a while…"

Vanessa chuckled as she flipped her long hair back. "Didn't he tell you that he found his way back to Elizabeth?" she giggled. "Last time I saw him, he was really nervous because he doesn't want mess up everything again … I never thought that I would say something like that about him but I guess that he has lost his mind the minute he has fallen for her…"

"Roy was always very strange," Madeline added. "Did he tell you that Elizabeth has a child? I met the girl … really pretty … looks a little bit like good old Lieutenant General Llewellyn…"

The Madame sighed. "The both Llewellyn-generals, old man Grumman and Major General Olivier Armstrong are the only ones we have nearly no dirt on," she said, "and the Tigress isn't ashamed of her past, so blackmailing her could prove to be difficult…"

The young woman sighed. "No, I was meaning something else," she said. "You remember all the old pictures of little Charlotte Llewellyn, right? And this girl looks exactly like her. The golden hair … the green eyes … I was instantly reminded of Llewellyn when I saw the girl…"

"How old?" Chris Mustang asked with a little frown on her face.

"I guessed seven first but he said nearly six," Madeline said.

Vanessa looked at her employer. "Do you think what I think?" she asked.

Chris stared at Madeline. "How did he behave around the girl?" she demanded to know.

The hostess shrugged. "Like a father," she said. "He called her 'princess' and 'little miss sunshine' … and he smiled the whole time she was around … I never saw him smiling that much since he was a child…" She took a sip of her champagne. "And he picked her up today at school, they wanted to go to lunch together … I didn't understood much of their conversation but it sounded like they would do that regularly … it was a little bit strange…"

"Did he say where he wanted to go?" Vanessa asked with a little frown.

"Isn't that obvious?" Chris asked. "When he wants to be seen, he goes to some upper-class restaurant but when he goes out to have a good time with someone really dear to him; it's always the Golden Dragon in his neighbourhood. From what we known, the Chop Suey has to be really great … and all of us know that he would probably kill for a good Chop Suey, right?"

"Well, seeing that it's Friday night and he isn't here like usually, I would guess that he probably a date with his favourite…" Madeline said. "He didn't say that he would meet Elizabeth but it would make kinda sense, right? He spends the afternoon with her daughter and the evening and probably even the night with Elizabeth…"

"I don't think so," Amy said as she left her place in the corner. "I saw Roy some weeks ago with a really cute girl that fits Madeline's description. They were ice skating and afterwards, they went shopping and Roy was acting really strange … I mean … he was smiling and laughing all the time. It's no unusual behaviour for him when he is around people he trusts but the last person I saw him laughing with was Phil over a year ago…"

"That screams after a little investigation trip on our part…" Chris said. "Roy's usual restaurant would be something posh but I have a feeling like he would prefer the _Golden Dragon_."

"His best address when he wants to have a calm evening…" Vanessa nodded. "That should be it."

"Alright, girls," Chris said. "Nessa and I will go and investigate what he is doing tonight."

The two women took their coats as they walked out of the bar. It was rare for them to leave at the same time but they were the ones who knew Roy the best and they were sure that they would be able to track him down in no time. The town was dark but as they came nearer to Roy's house, they saw that he was just leaving. They stayed in the shadows and watched how Roy locked the door before he took the blond girl's hand and walked down the street with her. They followed the duo unnoticed and weren't surprised when they really entered the _Golden Dragon_.

* * *

Roy grinned like an idiot as he saw Riza at one of the tables. Her long hair was down and she wore a dark blue dress that made her seem serious and illustrious. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek while Laila beamed at her mother before they sat down.

Jun Li didn't let them wait for long and appeared out of nowhere to take their orders. Since it was Friday night, the restaurant was full but Roy's favourite table was always free even at the busiest days. "The usual for you, Mr Mustang?" the waitress asked with a little smirk.

He nodded. "You should know me good enough that I will always order number 48 as long as you own this restaurant," he said before he cleared his throat. "Li, meet Riza Hawkeye, Laila's mother. I believe we mentioned her at lunch…"

The woman from Xing started to smile before she bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hawkeye," she said as she extended her hand. "My name is Jun Li Wei; I am the co-owner of the Golden Dragon. I am really happy to meet Mr Mustang's girlfriend after all these weeks…"

"Liiiiiii…" he whined. "Don't you have orders to take or something?"

She smirked at him. "You know that I am just teasing you," she said, "and I am quite happy that you are here tonight. We had some troubles last week Friday and the guys said they would be back this week. I mean, we beat them up last week and they want come back?"

"So, Miss Wei, you are an expert for Xingese Martial Arts?" Riza asked, interested.

The slightly older woman nodded. "I specialised in undercover work and twin swords," she said with a little shrug. "It was enough to serve under the great Emperor Yao who we will miss." She raised an eyebrow. "Well, Miss Hawkeye, what can our kitchen do for you?"

Riza smiled. "I quite enjoyed the meal Roy bought here three weeks ago," she said. "Fried duck and Chop Suey … it was the best Chop Suey I ate since many years…"

"The recipe belongs to Mr Wu," the waitress said. "He is the king of Chop Suey."

"Mr Wu is the co-owner," Roy explained, "a really funny old man who likes to talk with the guests because he likes to make sure that everyone enjoys the diner or the lunch. He is the old man in the corner … you see the guy with the book? That's him. I never saw him without a book."

Riza smiled at Jun Li. "Is Mr Wu your grandfather?" she asked. "He looks quite fondly at you…"

Jun Li chuckled a little bit. "No, no," she said. "Mr Wu and I left Xing together and he is loyal, so he didn't abandon me upon arriving in Amestris. We are business partners. I am doing all the work around the restaurant and he makes sure that we never run out of food…"

Riza raised her wine glass as she looked around. "I have to say," she began, "it's a really nice place … did you chose all the furniture yourself?" she asked with a little smile.

The owner shook her head. "No," she laughed. "Mr Wu takes care of these things. I am head of the kitchen and the staff. He says that I kept my old temper – and I am quite happy about that."

The old man got up from his place in the corner and walked over. "My dearest lily," he said with his melodious voice, "why don't you offer the Young Colonel and his beautiful girlfriend some of our best wine?" he suggested. "Colonel Mustang is one of our most frequent customers after all."

Laila beamed up at him and Roy extended his hand to ruffle her golden hair.

Jun Li laughed a little bit before she looked at her business partner. "You will get the wine from the cellar," she said, "and I will make sure that they don't blow up the kitchen."

The two owners hurried away and Roy raised his glass at Riza. "You look beautiful," he said.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You think so?" she asked. "C'mon, we both know the truth."

He sighed and kissed her hand. "If you are under the strange impression that Jun Li is prettier, I have to disappoint you," he said. "She is pretty but I saw what she can do with a knife. I am sure that she would put your old friend Barry to shame."

Her hands came up to cover her face. "Please, don't remind me of that guy," she sighed.

* * *

Vanessa's sharp eyes were still trained on Roy as she frowned. "He is acting really strange," she said. "I mean, Roy is always acting strange since he came back from the war but this is way too much, even for him."

Chris nodded. "You are right," she agreed. "But the question is: what do we do now?"

Her most trusted employee shrugged. "Well, there is always someone we can blackmail into telling us everything she knows," she stated. "Little Miss Emerald wouldn't be happy if her brother would hear how much she used to party when she was younger…"

"Jade is still a member of the family," Chris said with a little frown. "We can't treat her like a regular informant and we have to keep in mind that she tends to get snappy if someone gets too close to her. Dealing with her is sometimes like dealing with a wounded animal and just very few people never messed it up and never hurt her in the past…"

"So … I will take care of Elizabeth and you can ask Jade some questions," Vanessa concluded.

* * *

It was late when Riza came to her apartment. Laila had fallen asleep in the car and even though Roy had offered to help her, she had declined his offer and carried her daughter upstairs. She had a hard time finding the keys in her bag but finally, she opened the door. Laila's room was down the corridor and Riza found a short moment of peace and serenity as she tucked her in. As she left her daughter's bedroom, she took off her shoes and walked down the hallway to the living room. She opened the door and froze as she saw the woman on her couch.

"Good evening, Miss Hawkeye," the stranger said. "Your neighbour let me in. Mrs Robinson is really a nice woman … I really wonder why Roy-boy didn't like her…"

Riza stared at her. "Do I know you?" she asked with a little frown.

"No, no!" the other woman chuckled. "I am Vanessa, one of Roy-boy's informants. Well, it is kinda hard to give him information when he is talking about you the whole time. Honestly, I would be more than grateful if you could tell me how you made him love you that much. Not that I am interested that way in him but it would be really nice to get a good husband…"

Riza's dark eyes narrowed. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said.

"Hello?" Vanessa sighed. "I hate to spell it out for you but Roy is absolutely in love with you, Miss Hawkeye. And that has to say something because he is usually too stupid to get anything right."

A pale eyebrow rose as Riza sat down on a chair. "I don't question anything but you seem to be sadly mistaken," she said. "He isn't too stupid to get anything right."

Vanessa grinned. "You should really ask Jade about that sometimes," she said. "And honestly, he should have told us that he has a child! Madame was really disappointed – and the lucky girl doesn't look like him at all!"

* * *

"Could you figure this code out?" Roy asked as he walked up to Jade who sat at his desk and had her eyes trained onto the black notebook Kay had passed down at him.

She looked up to glare at him. "Have a little bit patience, Roy," she hissed. "We are talking about a truly paranoid alchemistic genius here and she used three different codes. I have broken down the first page but since the whole fire-and-lightening-alchemy-business isn't my thing, I have a really hard time to understand what it is saying," she added. "Trust me – I accepted the challenge and there is no way in hell that she will beat me while lying dead in her grave."

"Ambitious much?" he teased.

"It has to be an illness in our family," she said with a smirk. "And now, leave me alone and take care of Aunty Chris. She sits in the living room and she wasn't happy when she arrived…"

Roy stared at her. "What is she doing here?" he asked.

"My best guess would be that she somehow heard of Laila's existence since she was asking me about your love life," Jade shrugged. "Honestly, I know nothing about this – and I don't want too."

He nodded. "Thanks for warning me," he sighed. "Well, I will go and face the lioness."

"I really wish you that you can escape her should she get angry," Jade said and returned to her notes which she considered a little bit more important than his life.

Roy dodged the vase his foster mother threw at him as he entered his living room and bowed slightly. "It's nice to see you in my humble home, Chris," he sighed.

She glared at him. "I raised you!" she declared. "I raised you and I never asked for anything in return and now you go and keep my granddaughter from me? Really, Roy, how could you?"


	24. Conversations around midnight

**Conversations around midnight**

* * *

Jade's steps were silent as she hurried down the hallway. She had forgotten her spare pair of gloves in the office and she hated it to leave them behind because she was slightly paranoid. She was lost in her thoughts and she didn't notice the man right in front of her until he raised his voice. "Interesting to see you here, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," Fuhrer Bradley said.

She saluted crisply. "I am just getting my gloves, sir," she said hastily.

"Of course, of course…" he looked at her with a merciless smirk. "You just shouldn't forget that the last two persons who sneaked around in this building after work got murdered, Breeze Soul."

"How could I ever forget?" she asked icily. "And I would like to get my gloves now before I will return to my bed. I am really tired."

He chuckled and she was terrified. "You know, Breeze Soul, I always wondered how you feel when your little brother isn't around…" he said.

She smirked at him without feeling particularly good. "I feel a little bit _heartless,_ sir," she said.

"You and him … you have a really similar humour…" Bradley said thoughtfully, "and no intention to betray the fool you call a cousin … that's really a shame…"

"I am no pawn, sir," she said. "Honestly, you can waste as many brilliant men on the battlefield as you like to but I prefer to stay behind the lines. More place for me and my ego, you know?"

"Your twin brother … you said once that he is the most important person in your life … how did you feel when he was reported as missing in action?" Bradley inquired.

Jade's heart and everything else inside her froze. "I felt nothing but anger because I told him to pay attention and to come back alive," she said with a little bow and walked on.

* * *

Edward watched the other male state alchemist for some minutes before it was close to midnight and he decided to join Phil on the bench in front of the house. The black-haired man was working with his automail and his face held the probably most determined expression Edward had ever seen and the nearly black eyes showed the man's fear to fail those he loved.

Edward coughed. "I heard the story you told your sister, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang," he said. "How much of it is true? She didn't seem to believe you … and since she seems to know you really well, I guess she had a reason to doubt you and your story. I mean … I can understand that you don't tell her the truth … a lie is sometimes more comfortable … and sometimes it serves to protect someone…"

"Roy was right about you, you are a smart guy," Phil replied, carefully avoiding the s-word. "But it's difficult to explain why Jade can't know the truth yet. I didn't like to lie to her … I never liked it to betray her and to leave her in the dark when all she wants is the truth … but sometimes, I have to do it. In this case, she believed me because she didn't think that I could lie about something that important." He shrugged. "But what should I tell her? _'Hey, sis, I don't know how to tell you but … well … it wasn't an accident that I lost my hand. I lost it when I tried to escape some guys who wanted to kill me in the hope that you would break the taboo.'_ Really, she would have been _overjoyed_ at that."

Edward closed his eyes for a while. "How to you know that they wanted to kill you with the intention that Breeze Soul breaks the taboo?" he asked suddenly.

"When they left me, broken and bleeding, the guy said that it should have been enough to ensure that Breeze Soul commits the ultimate sin," the older male said. "I have to say; their information about my big sister was really bad. Jade would never commit the taboo because she has seen what happened to Aunty Iz. We would be insane and ignorant if we would do it."

"And why did the military or someone else think that it would be a smart idea to kill you?"

"Together, we are the most powerful," Phil replied with a little smirk. "Jade is a really good alchemist but she has some small difficulties under certain circumstances. When we work together, we can surpass those problems and use our alchemy under nearly every circumstance. I just hope she is doing fine back in Central City … she didn't want to leave but as long as the Pirate King stole Hawkeye from Roy , Jade needs to make sure that the guy doesn't overwork himself to keep her save."

"Why did the Pirate King as you so eloquently put it choose Lieutenant Hawkeye as hostage to keep Colonel Bastard in line?" Edward asked with a frown.

"Honestly, boy, are you blind?" Phil got up and paced around while he never stopped to move his automail hand. "Roy is hardly someone who can hide his feelings if he really likes someone," he started, "and I remember seeing him and her at some military ball three years ago and he was more than jealous when I walked over to her and made some conversation. Afterwards, he had nearly fried me if Jade hadn't stepped in. Honestly, Roy is a fool but he is a fool in love."

"Old moron Mustang loves Hawkeye?" Edward was shocked to say the least.

"What did you expect?" Phil asked. "He has been in love with her for years. Before he knew her, Jade was always his favourite when he had to attend some party with a female friend but when he started to realise that girls were something nice to look at, it was always Riza here and Riza there." He chuckled. "And when she turned down his first attempt to ask her out, he called us and we had to tell him that it wasn't because she found him ugly. I believe Jade had the time of her life when she explained him that he should try again and again until Riza finally gave in…"

"You and your sister are really close to him, right?" Edward asked.

Phil nodded. "Roy is like an older brother," he said. "And he can make Jade laugh even when she has another nightmare."

* * *

"You are honestly working too hard, Lan Fan," Paninya said as she looked at the young Xingese woman who had her eyes closed while she moved her automail arm. "Give it more time. You are doing really well; you don't need to work this hard on it. You are making progress."

The bodyguard just shrugged. "I need to return to my duties," she said. "The prince waits for me to return to his side … and I can't fail him again."

"Why are you so obsessed with that guy? Of course, he is kinda good-looking but … well … I mean … he is hardly ever serious and you could do so much better…" the former thief said.

Lan Fan's blush was crimson. "I am not _obsessed_ with the young master!" she said. "I am just fulfilling my duty … like my sister fulfilled her duty to Emperor Yao."

"If he was as handsome as this Ling-guy, I really can't blame her."

"He was more than seventy years old by the time she became his servant," Lan Fan said, "and no, she didn't fall for a man who was older than our grandfather. She respected him greatly and when he died, she was heartbroken. She cried during the funeral and left the country right afterwards, maybe out of shame. She was always honour-bound and even if he died of old age, in her eyes it was something she should have stopped."

"If she really believed that, she is insane," Paninya said. "I mean … it was just her boss…"

"She was his most trusted servant since the tender age of six," Lan Fan said, "and she was very loyal to him … but she was never as loyal to the Council. For her, the emperor was the most important person in her life … and she would have done everything to protect him from any harm that there may come." She continued to move her arm. "She would have found a way out…"

"Don't blame yourself for something you can't change at all," Paninya said with a shrug. "C'mon, tomorrow, there is a party in the village … and you really should go. Look at you, you have such a pretty face – I bet you hear it all the time – and you deserve a night of freedom. Domenic says you are overworking yourself, so you need one night to come down a little bit. And believe me, the boys will adore you … and if one of them comes to close, you can always show him your pretty automail. It looks amazing on you … even though you would look even better without it."

Lan Fan stared at her before she sighed. "It's no use," she said. "Look at me: I am nothing but plain. My mother and my sister, yes, they were really beautiful…"

"You are beautiful," the young, tanned woman said. "Look in the mirror…" She grabbed the bodyguard's shoulders and pushed her into the house and stopped in front of a mirror. "Look at you," she ordered. "Lan Fan, I hate to break the news to you – but you are really, really pretty. I would kill for a fair skin like yours … and don't tell me, it's because you are in the shadows all the time. You look gorgeous and you should know better than to tell yourself that you are ugly. Or look at your eyes … I rarely saw such a deep and … soul-searching brown before…"

"My skin is nothing compared to Miss Rockbell's and my eyes are not half as beautiful as those which belong to Miss Hawkeye."

"You don't have enough respect for your own body," Paninya accused. "Look at you, you cut off your own arm and you don't admit that you are pretty. You, my friend, have a problem."

The Xingese bodyguard turned away. "My body is a tool is use to protect the Young Master," she said, "and as my arm didn't work any longer, he was nothing more than too much of an unnecessary weigh, Paninya. It had to go, it was the only decision I could make."

"But you have just one body!" her friend said. "And this body is really gorgeous! You shouldn't destroy him that way. Look at you, Lan Fan, you are a really beautiful young lady and I just don't get why you and that Ling-person aren't a couple! You would be adorable together!"

Lan Fan laughed bitterly and turned away from the mirror. "Why should I waste my time by loving a man I never can have?" she asked. "Xing is a country where nearly every marriage is arranged. We have no place for love in our marriages because they have just to ensure that the family-line won't die. Rich men can have the women they really love as a concubine but even then they have children, those children will never be accepted in our society."

"But he likes you too!" Paninya said. "When I first met the two of you, it was so obvious that he cares for you … and the look in his eyes was exactly the same look Edward Elric, that rude boy, has whenever he looks at Winry. And when even I noticed that, you should know it too."

For a second, Lan Fan stayed silent before she looked right into Paninya's eyes. "You are right," she said but her voice was laced with pain, "but it will never be. And I will never allow this."

"You are honestly way too stubborn," Paninya said. "He seems to love you very much and all you think about is breaking his heart despite the fact that you love him too. That's insane."

The pale girl shook her head. "It's not insane," she said, "it's how the things are in Xing. I have to make sure that he stays unharmed and becomes emperor one day. That is my duty. I know my place and I will never try to become more than I am meant to be. The Young Master understands and he respects my decision because he knows that I will stay loyal to him until my death."

"So … you did sacrifice your arm and your heart for his goal?" Paninya asked.

"I sacrificed everything for his goal," Lan Fan said and sat down, suddenly feeling weak. "I never said that I like how the things are … but how could I dare to leave the place that I am born to?"


	25. Familiar Troubles III

**Chapter 25: Familiar Troubles III**

* * *

Roy stared at his foster mother like Chris Mustang had just told him that she had lost every little bit of sanity she maybe had still possessed after raising him. "Your … your **granddaughter?"** he asked while his voice nearly broke. He mentally went through the last six years and came to the conclusion that he had been a true gentleman. It was nearly impossible that he got someone pregnant because after everything he went through in the war, he had had a hard time to bring himself to touch anyone with his bloodied hands.

"Yes, Roy , I am talking about your daughter," his aunt said annoyed.

"I have the dark feeling that you know maybe more than I," he muttered. "What's going on, Chris? What – or more importantly – **who** are you talking about?"

"Vanessa and I went out for dinner tonight," she said smugly, "and because you always said that the Chop Suey in the _Golden Dragon_ was really good, we decided to give it a try…"

He paled. "You are messing things up," he said. "The girl – Laila – isn't my daughter."

"You didn't act like she wasn't your daughter," Chris said frowning. "You acted _really_ fatherly. And it would explain a few things, Roy -boy. I mean, you broke the engagement with Elizabeth because you came to the strange conclusion that she deserved someone better. But instead of allowing her to leave and find someone better, you keep her close and glare at every man who dares to speak with her – including your poor, innocent cousin Phil."

"The last time, Phil was poor or innocent was when he was a baby and Jade hit him with her rattle because he snored when they took a nap – and that was years ago," Roy said. "Phil is as innocent as I and you know it, Madame. This guy can be really mean."

"And why did you decide that your cousin, the boy you vowed to protect at the tender age of ten, is mean?" Chris asked while she felt how she became more and more tired.

"Phil always took away my things!" Roy said with a childish pout. "First he always took my toys and when we got older, he always took my books … and when we were teenagers, he stole my dates! I am the poor victim here, Chris! I did nothing!"

"If you did nothing, Roy, how could you get the poor woman pregnant?"

"I am not Laila's father, don't you get it?" he said annoyed. "I mean, didn't you say yourself more than once that you raised me to be a gentleman, Chris? And which kind of gentleman would be that much of a bastard to leave a pregnant woman in the dust to become Fuhrer?"

"I just said that I _tried_ to make a gentleman out of you," she said. "Oh, your poor father would never have done something like that! He would be ashamed if he knew of this behaviour of yours! And how can you still visit Abby's anniversaries and hold a speech on the happiness she found in her marriage while you are such an irresponsible guy who leaves a woman when she is pregnant with your child, Roy? Wait until our aunts hear of this!"

"Which part of I am not Laila's father didn't you hear, Chris?" he sighed. "Shall I spell it out for you? Or you can even ask Jade. You know that she was always my partner in crime…"

"Roy, how can you dare to lie to me?" Chris asked. "You know that I know the true and you still try to lie to me? Honestly, are you thinking I am that dense?"

"Chris, you can ask Riza if you don't believe me but I am not Laila's father," he said. "She is way too smart to serve in a war while being pregnant," he added. "But that is something I can't say about her cousin. Really, Kay had the nerve to return to the battle while being pregnant!"

"Kay was the state alchemist who had the break-down during the war, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said darkly. "And she was Laila's biological mother even though she had to leave the country some months after the war and left the girl with Riza."

"That's pretty cold for a woman who was described as warm-hearted and caring in all of your letters," Chris said with a little frown. "And why did she leave the girl with her not-married and minor cousin? The poor lass could have gotten in trouble for having a child … especially since your best friend Kimblee voiced his suspicions of your relationship with her in the court room…"

Roy shrugged. "There was a short time when we were watched from all sides but it calmed down after some months," he said. "I wasn't even bothered by it … since it was true…"

His foster mother stared at him. "You didn't mean what I think you meant," she said.

_"Hello?_ Didn't you think there was a reason why I couldn't look at her without feeling guilty for weeks?" he asked. "I mean … I would have gotten out of trouble somehow … but she would have been the sacrifice the military would have gladly made to keep everyone in order."

"You are playing a really dangerous game there, Roy-boy," she warned.

He sighed. "I know that I am playing with fire but I am the flame alchemist after all," he said.

"Never forget that a little bit of rain or carbon dioxide can make the flame alchemist really, **really** useless," Jade threw in. She stood in the doorway and her face was still very pale. "Listen, Roy, I am going for a walk. I don't feel so brilliant tonight and I need a break from the notes."

He turned around to look at her and a little frown appeared on his forehead. "You look like hell, Stormy," he said and got up to check if she had fever. "My, my, girl, you belong into your bed!" he exclaimed. "You are burning!"

She looked up at him with confusion. "No … I feel good…" she muttered.

"Stormy…" he sighed as he used her old nickname again. "Be reasonable. You need a break. You were overworking yourself over the past weeks … and I don't think that I can allow that. Please, go to bed and sleep a little bit."

She buried her face into his chest. "I don't want to sleep," she whispered.

"You need your sleep if you don't want to end up like you ended up some years ago," he said and hugged her gently. "You know how fragile your health can be, Jade."

Jade's body was in fact a constant risk. In spite of being a war veteran like her cousin (she had been in the west instead of Ishbal but still) and of being a renowned user of martial arts, her body was in a terrible constitution. It started with her eyes which were weak – for that reason she wore contacts – and went on with her ribcage which had never healed perfectly after an accident and was therefore prone to breaking again. Her bones broke generally very easy and she attracted bullets like a magnet. Roy knew about the scars on her stomach and on various other parts of her body because he had been there after most of these incidents and as her cousin, there wasn't much she wouldn't share with him.

But even though injuries had taken a toll on her along the years, illnesses had plagued her as well. Insomnia and fear of the dark were the results from her past and a certain numbness that never stopped hadn't helped her either. Her body was constantly strained by colds and other _seemingly_ minor illnesses and according to her mother it was a miracle that her body could still take the permanent torture Jade put herself under. Rigorous training, ungodly hours, never enough sleep, hours of studying ancient scripts … she was ruining herself but she didn't care and her body took it without a problem.

Roy had seen the sheer strength Jade possessed. He had seen her once in combat and countless times in training and her willpower was the reason why she took injuries that would sent most people down to the ground, weeping and crying in pain, with a dark glare and without a word. She was a woman of knowledge but she had been taught from a young age how to defend herself and her beliefs and if Roy was honest, there were only two people he trusted with knives. One was Maes because Roy had been saved by his knives multiple times and the second was Jade because her knife never left her hand and she wielded it with highest concentration, only touching what she wanted to touch and nothing else. The third master with knives had been Martin but Roy knew that it would shatter Jade's resolve to mention him now because while Lynn had been Jade's closest friend, Martin had been her friend as well and she would need time to get over this even though she seemed alright now. Roy knew that Jade's current energy was a bad one. She took her drive from her dark wish to avenge her friends and while he didn't approve of it, he knew that he couldn't do it without her. He needed her because she was the ice to his fire – and he could trust her to stay calm. Well, most of the time at least and this was more than he could say about himself or Riza who had had quite a short temper when they had been younger.

"When I sleep…" Jade inhaled. "I see their faces, Roy. I see Lynn and Martin … and they are trying to say something but I just can't hear them! I should leave and go back to the mansion. I am just a failure … and I can't stand the idea that I could fail you and Phil once more!"

Roy sighed deeply. "Out of all of us, Breeze Soul, you were always the one with the strongest compass and the one who would rather kill herself than fail another person," he said. "You were always the most talented and best-looking out of us. So get up and walk, Stormy. You are such a wonderful and caring person but your low self-esteem is getting in your way."

She punched the wall behind him and hissed when the pain captured her body. "You have no idea how I felt when I saw my little brother … and when he showed me that his hand was gone!" she said. "I promised mama that I would protect him … and I couldn't even hold that promise."

"You are always trying to force yourself to do things you don't really want to do," he said. "Phil is dear to you and I know how much you would do to make sure that he is fine but … you are no goddess. You are an exceptionally talented alchemist since it runs in our family but you are human, Stormy. Don't kill yourself, Miss Emerald."

* * *

_"…whether I die or not doesn't matter to me," the black-haired woman said as she looked at the knife in her hand. "It's not even the most important question right now. Strength doesn't matter to me either. I am not here to prove a point like you are. I am here for my own reasons. I am not even here to prove that women can be as strong as men or something like that. I am here because you did the unforgiveable. You attacked my brother and my friends. That's why I am here."_

_"You are truly the knife of the army … the woman in the background, in the shadows…"_

_"It's there where no one can hit me because as long as I am there, I do not care whether I die or live. I have stopped to care a long time ago. So come at me … if you think that you can destroy me."_

_"Why would I want to kill a woman who gave up such a long time ago?" the man asked as he turned away. "Your brother has left you and your friends are dead. You claim to be fighting for them while you are simply attempting to die in battle so that no one would realise that it was suicide. I know that you would be stronger than I am – if you would fight like you used to."_

_"How can you be so sure that I really gave up?" she asked as she raised her knife. "We never fought before … so you cannot know whether I changed or not."_

_"You are supposed to be fiery, aggressive and everything but rational."_

_"You are messing something up," she said as she stared at him cold and empty eyes._

_"Huh?"_

_"Unlike my brother and my cousin, I never had the true spirit. I won my battles for selfish reasons. I fought because I considered it the only thing I can best them both in – Phil because he holds back most of the time and Roy because he hasn't seen a true battlefield since Ishbal," she said as she cut her own wrist before she used the blood to draw an array. "I love them. That's why I fight for their sake and why I keep them far from me. I am bad news. My decisions always cause others to get hurt. By keeping them far from me, I protect them. To be arrogant means to be protecting in this case."_

* * *

The next Sunday, Jade was still ill when Roy left to met Riza for lunch at the Hughes' place. He felt bad for leaving her but Chris would stay with her and when Gracia opened the door, he was happy that he had come. The scene on the couch was adorable. Riza sat there and the four children, Laila, Victoria, Nick and Elicia, surrounded her while she read them a story. Victoria had inherited her aunt's flaming red hair and her mother's violet eyes while Nick was the splitting image of his black-haired, green-eyed father – only that his eyes were brown with green rays. The twins were half a year younger than Laila and one year older than Elicia and obviously big fans of Riza since they were fighting over the privilege to sit next to her at dinner.

Roy sneaked up on them before he hugged Riza from behind. "Always little Miss Popular," he grinned. "First it was the guys back at school, now you have kids fighting over you."

She smiled as she turned her head to look at him. "You look nice," she said, "but tired. Let me guess, you had a surprising visitor too last night?"

"My foster mother, yeah, and Jade fell ill," he said as he sat down next to her. "Who was at your place? Chris didn't say something about it but it makes sense…"

"Vanessa," Riza said with a shrug. "Mrs Robinson let her in … I wonder why…"

"Vanessa has her ways to get into houses," he said. "Well, I listen to the argument between Nick and Vicky and I would say that I will sit next to you if those two don't get along with each other if they don't get to sit next to you…"

Maes appeared out of the kitchen and he dragged Roy away, into his study. "What kind of game are you playing?" the older man asked after he closed the door. "You keep flirting with Riza whenever you see her … you know exactly that she never got over you and now, now you go and increase her hopes … how can you do that to her? And more important: have you any idea of her anger when you break up with her again? Last time, you were in luck that she was on the other side of Ishbal when you had your brilliant idea. This time, she is working for a man who wants nothing more than bring you down. And angry women are really unpredictable."

Roy sighed. "I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon," he said. "I may be an idiot – and Fullmetal and probably even Jade would second that statement anytime – but I will never leave her again. I am not that much of a fool, Hughes." He sighed. "I really start to regret that I threw the ring away when I got it back with her letter…"

"I thought you said that Jade is the one with the fever," Maes muttered.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted me to get married for years. Now I tell you that I have a really beautiful woman in mind and you are making fun of me!" Roy pouted. "And I think it makes sense for me to marry her. She is beautiful, smart and strong. Who wouldn't want to marry her? She is the perfect woman for me."

"Rumour is she turned down Prince Claudio when he visited last year…" Maes shrugged. "The girl is really something else. Most women would have sold their souls to marry this guy…" He looked at Roy. "No need to look that gloomy, Roy. I just told you that she didn't want to marry him. I spoke with him shortly afterwards and he said that she said that there was someone else. I guess that were you … and she really has to like you when she turns down such an offer…"

"She always turned down the best offers," Roy muttered darkly. "I never told Kay but Charles told me once that he had a crush on Riza when they were kids. He confessed it to me the fateful night of Riza's graduation. I guess he was pretty much drunk."

"You and the rest of your merry gang were always speaking about that day but no one ever gave me the details … what was so special about it?" Maes pouted.

"Kay accepted Charles' proposal, Martin and Lynn vowed that they would stay together for the rest of their lives and I finally had enough courage to confess to Riza without fearing her father's wrath because I knew that Serena knocked him and his sister out," Roy grinned. "It was the best day of our lives … and we promised each other that we would never lose each other's friendship. That's why it was just natural for me to keep Riza close after the war."

"You can admit that you didn't want that any other man could get close to her," Maes said.

"That plan was a terrible idea from the very beginning since she was the only female member of my staff," he said with a frown. "Well, I promise you that I won't hurt her. As a matter of fact, I am trying to talk Jun Li from the Golden Dragon into hosting a wedding, something she never does."

Maes sighed. "I know that you and Kay had your problems with each other … but I guess she would be proud of you if she could see you now," he said. "She always wanted to best for your and everyone else … and sometimes she forgot herself in progress."

"She was a great friend," Roy agreed. "Well, can I go back to Riza?"

* * *

Gracia smirked at Riza as the younger woman joined her in the kitchen. "So, you and Roy, yeah?" the infamous wife of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes grinned. "I can't say that I didn't see it coming."

Riza had had nearly the same discussion with Kay, many years ago, so she kept the blush away from her face. "He is nice," she said with a little shrug. "And you can't tell me anything I haven't heard from my dearest cousin years ago, Gracia. I am sorry to disappoint you but Kay beats most people even after her death. She is really a stubborn harpy, I am sorry."

"So, you mean you have gone out with Roy before?" Gracia inquired.

She nodded. "I was fourteen back then and he was sixteen," she shrugged. "He asked me out the night of my graduation. I believe that Charles and Martin pushed him into this direction."

"You grew up with Charles _and_ Martin?" Gracia looked nearly jealous. "Of course, I was already with Maes when I met them but they were always so nice. I bet that every woman would have envied Kay and Lynn after seeing how their husbands loved them."

"Charles asked me to marry him when I was four," Riza chuckled. "I turned him down because he had no chocolate for me. He accused me of breaking his heart for years afterwards."

"I believe that Claudio of Aerugo would second the statement that you are a heartbreaker, girl."

The blonde sighed. "What could I do? There was no way for me to leave everyone behind to play the next queen of Aerugo. Furthermore, he told me later that Kay had warned him that I would say no, so I hardly broke his heart … and the last thing I heard was that he has his eyes set on someone else … someone black-haired and **really** beautiful…"

"I met Kay just once but Maes said that she was an infamous troublemaker back in school…"

"The teachers hated her but her grades were always good. I believe they were all afraid of the things she would do if she would have to repeat a class," Riza said. "And from what I remember, Maes was her partner-in-crime. They had often detention together…"

The older woman chuckled. "He told me that there was no week without detention for him and her," Gracia said. "You were really happy that you got to spend your youth with them. It was surely an amazing experience to live with all of them … and don't you miss it sometimes, Riza?"

The blonde nodded with a soft sigh. "Sometimes it's really hard to believe that they are gone for good," she said. "I guess that we all knew that Lynn would die that way because knowing too much was part of her job description but that all of them would fall down…" She looked down at the necklace she wore every day underneath her clothes. "It wasn't a part of our promise," she said and her voice was full with sorrow and pain.

"You have really a nice necklace there," Gracia said with a smile. "The coin is beautiful…"

Riza nodded. "Kay had been gifted when it came to transmuting things like that," she said. "Look at it … can you see the hawk and the horse above the field?" she asked. "The hawk stands for my family, the sisters' family, and the horse should be a mustang…" she smiled fondly at the memory as she looked at the shiny gold. "The field … well … Charles was the heir of many acres of land somewhere in the west, so it should represent him. Martin is also in the picture. Can you see the stars? Kay always said that he was like the most beautiful and brightest star in the night…"

"You have still the old coin?" Roy asked while he put his right arm around her waist to hold her close as he took a better look at her necklace. "Really, your loyalty knows no boundaries…"

She chuckled. "You can admit that you still wear it too," she said. "The day we got soaked, I could see it underneath your shirt. Have you any idea how surprised I was?"

He grinned. "So … you were checking out my upper body, yeah?" he smirked smugly. "I really hope you saw something you liked…"

She raised an eyebrow. "You know that you always looked weak compared to Charles," she said.

His face fell. "But I stayed alive all these years while he went and got himself killed," he said.

"He died for something he really believed in," she shrugged. "I may sound like Bendix but he is right: I rather watch my friends die for something they believed in than for nothing at all. Call me cold, call me ice-hearted … but you will always know deep inside your soul that I am right."

He looked at her before his right hand cupped her face and his thumb caressed her cheekbone as he smiled sadly at her. "You used to have such a brilliant and heart-warming smile," he said and his voice was laced with regret. "I would give everything to see this smile again."

She smiled but it was only half of the smile she had possessed years ago. She knew that it had been a while since she had really smiled and she could very good remember the last time she had smiled like she wasn't broken. It had been shortly after the war when the doctor Kay had blackmailed into helping her giving birth had give Laila to Riza and when the blond sniper had vowed that even though she would go to hell for everything she had done, that she would take everyone down with her who dared to mess with this perfect little child. Riza had adored Laila from the first minute of the girl's life and she had seen some strange kind of hope afterwards. She had held Laila close to her chest and she had cried when the girl had buried the little face into her chest because it had felt so right, so complete … even though she didn't deserve that kind of happiness. She had never felt that good before in her life and she had held the girl close for a whole day. She had been against Kay's idea at first and she would always admit that but she couldn't deny the fact that she had loved Laila from the moment the huge eyes had looked at her. She had chosen the name Laila because it was related to the name Helena which had the meaning of the shining one and a girl with Laila's smile could wear no other name.

"Honestly, Riza," Gracia said. "Everyone said that you had the most amazing smile before the war and I really would like to see it once in my lifetime…"

The golden-haired woman shrugged. "I just smile that way when some life-changing event happens," she stated. "I believe I really smiled the last time when I adopted Laila…"

"Well, we will need to create another life-changing moment," Roy promised. "I will take care of it after the Promised Day … and you will be happy afterwards. That's a threat, just so you know."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't worry, Roy," she said. "After the Promised Day, some things will be easier than now … and I really wonder when it will finally be the day everything will be a little bit more like we used to like it in our youth…" she smiled a little bit. "Of course, it will never be the same even though we wish the Golden Time back, so we need to move on…"


	26. Special 1: Familiar problems

**Special 1: Familiar problems**

* * *

Fuhrer King Bradley was more than just surprised when the door to his office was opened the next Monday and his favourite colonel, the Flame Alchemist, barged in. The foolish man carried a book and his grin was so huge that the homunculus really wondered what happened to Mustang to make him that happy. Well, his question would be answered soon. The man walked over to First Lieutenant Hawkeye's desk and sat down on the edge. "I see that you are already reading the new part of the series too," he said to the reading woman. "Did you already reach page 547?"

She nodded and looked up with tired eyes. "I was reading it the whole night," she said. "Are you happy now? The new book is full of Luca-Lena-moments and full of Ivor-Alessandra…"

He beamed at her. "Attention, I will give you a little spoiler now," he warned. "At page 589, Luca _proposes_ to Lena! I believe I scared my whole staff including Jade when I _danced_ my little victory-dance right in the middle of the office…"

She sighed. "So you don't have to visit the author," she said, "and you won't get in trouble for killing a civilian. It's a win-win-situation."

Bradley coughed. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

Roy stared at him in disbelief. "What we are talking about?" he asked back. "Yesterday, the long-anticipated sequel of _An Eternal Love: The Ghosts of the Past_ came out and **every** Amestrian who has a clue bought an exemplar to read it! Honestly, sir, I am not sure if I can follow someone who doesn't know why so many soldiers are tired today."

"Sir, this book accompanied so many of us through the youth … how can you not know that the last book came out yesterday?" another soldier threw in. "The love story between Ivor Beverwil and Alessandra Harretta is so … so touching! How can anyone not know about it?"

"Oh my god, are you honestly an Ivessa-fan?" his colleague asked. "I have to admit that I was always more for Luca and Alessandra as a couple! Their love-hate-relationship is amazing!"

"Lucandra doesn't even qualify as a proper couple!" the Ivessa-fan shouted. "Lucandra is as likely as a marriage between Colonel Mustang and Major General Armstrong!"

"What the hell are they talking about?" Bradley asked, clearly confused.

Riza put down her book. "It's hard to explain to someone who didn't read the books but since it takes most of the main characters centuries to confess, there are many pairings. Lieutenant Goldenberg obviously likes the pairing Ivor and Alessa as a romantic couple which is considered as canon by most of the fans while Sergeant Black prefers Luca McGrady and Alessandra as a couple. It is hinted on that they share some past but I don't see them together."

Roy decided to come to her help. "The Lieutenant and I are took quite a liking in Luna – the pairing of Luca and Lena Beverwil, Ivor's cousin," he added.

"I am not surprised," the lieutenant said. "The two of them are awesome and absolutely loved the part when Luca thought that Lena was dead and when he was trying to kill himself … and when Alessandra came from Talesia to stop him … it was amazing … I was so happy when he didn't kill himself … I mean … what would be _An Eternal Love_ without Luca?"

"C'mon, there is no way in hell that Luca and Lena will really end up together," Sergeant Black said. "Lena will probably die somewhere over the next thousand pages…"

"My cousin talked with Sheska who is a big Luna-fan by the way and Sheska said that they will end up together," Roy said. "And Alessandra and Ivor will also stay together…"

The Ivessa-fan grinned widely. "God, I was so afraid that the author could split them up. They were together since page one and when it leaked out last month that maybe some couple will break up, I was so afraid that it would be them…"

Bradley cleared his throat. "Is it possibly for me to get an exemplar too?" he asked.

Lieutenant Goldenberg shook his head. "It's sold out in every store I passed," he said. "It has been nearly six years since the last book came out because of the war and everything … but the book is still pretty much alive. The characters are … so wonderful … and it's so easy to find a character to identify with…" He sighed dreamily. "Look at Colonel Mustang, sir, he is like Luca."

"Exactly!" the sergeant agreed. "And Lieutenant Hawkeye is more like Lena…"

She sighed as she read on. "Honestly, I would prefer to finish the book," she said. "If you really need to speak about it, go to one of the fan-meetings where all the people who are addicted to that book meet to talk over the newest information … and leave me alone because I am at a really important part – I believe that Alessandra is dying right now…"

"Nooo!" the Ivessa-fan shouted. "Not my Alessa!"

"She is dying each book at least once and she always comes back," Roy sighed. "She will be fine."

"The Luna-fans are always so cocky, just because the author mentioned once thatLenais her favourite character!" the Lucandra-fan shouted with an accusing voice. "Other people have to worry if their pairing will survive the next book, so please, accept our worries!"

Another soldier came in with a very pale face. "My dear co-workers," he said solemnly, "did you ever hear of the glorious pairing Ivor-Luca? I overheard some women talking about it at lunch … and am I blind or is that pairing just non-existent?"

"Just because Luca saw Ivor without a shirt…" Riza started.

"Just because Ivor was against the relationship between Luca and Lena…" Roy went on.

"Just because both of them are described as attractive and handsome…" Black shuddered.

"…aren't they gay!" Goldenberg finished.

The newcomer nodded weakly. "Their main argument was that they are always bickering…"

"Many people are always bickering," Goldenberg stated, "but that doesn't make them gay!"


	27. Always trouble with the press

**Always trouble with the press**

* * *

Three days after the outcome of the new bestseller of Amestris' most famous author's, the Central Times published an article which led to anger and confusion all around in Amestris. It was pretty obvious that someone had planned to publish it since many weeks because whoever had wrote the rubbish, he had made his homework. The reactions ranged from divine anger (Jade, Bendix, Olivier and probably even Phil even though he wasn't available to comment on it), pure wrath (Charlotte Llewellyn, Leroy Grumman and Chris Mustang) and utter hatred on whoever had dared to write something like that ( Roy's sisters) over complete confusion (Alex Armstrong) to complete horror (Riza, Roy and Laila.)

Maes was actually the only one who tried to keep to keep everything in order but he was fighting for a lost cause. The Central Times was the biggest newspaper in Amestris and since Rebecca called early in the morning, it was safe to assume that the Eastern Times brought the same story.

* * *

**The Heart and the Princess of the Flame**

* * *

_The Flame Alchemist, Colonel Roy Mustang (26 years old) is well-known as Amestris' most-eligible bachelor and as the Hero of the Ishbalan Civil War. He is also known for his support for the __**Union of Women in the Army**__ which was found on 1910 by Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong (27 years old) who returned to Central City in triumph three months ago. The public image of Mr Mustang is easily described: a careless yet ambitious young man with womanising tendencies. He is a known friend of Lieutenant General Leroy Grumman (59 years old) who is stationed in East City and ironically Mr Mustang is also known as a fiery rival of Grumman's only son, Brigadier General Bendix Llewellyn (27 years old) from West City, and Llewellyn's lovely fiancée, Olivier Mira Armstrong._

_But today we can finally reveal that Mustang's image is nothing but a façade!_

_Nearly everyone should have heard of Mustang's exceptionally close relationship with his former aide, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye (24 years old), by now. Hawkeye, also known as the Hawk's Eye from the Ishbalan Civil War, seems to possess the knowledge how to tame a mustang. Miss Hawkeye, a lovely blonde with beautiful hazel eyes, was always rumoured to be a close friend of Mustang, especially after the heart-breaking scene during the funeral of their mutual friends, Lieutenant General Kay Hawkeye Hamilton and her husband Brigadier General Charles Mayer, when Miss Hawkeye supported the visibly shaken Flame Alchemist as he paid his respect to his former comrades._

_Many people saw Miss Hawkeye's unwavering devotion to Mr Mustang as perfect example of the loyalty of a soldier towards his commander but now, many people wonder why Miss Hawkeye has such a close proximity to Mr Mustang most of the time – and how she got promoted to such a high rank on such a young age. Of course, there was always a faint rumour about the nature of their relationship but since they were never caught, no one could prove that they are in a somehow romantic relationship which has probably its roots somewhere in the desert._

_Many people always wondered how Miss Hawkeye could defend her place on Mr Mustang's side against more appropriate and more talented soldiers but it seems that she has him completely under her (questionable) spell._

_'Oh, she is not that pretty,' Miss Camilla Robertson (East City) chuckles when our reporter asks her about Miss Hawkeye. 'She is nothing more than plain but she has certainly other qualities … and my good friend Jean told me once that Hawkeye and Mustang are often alone in Mustang's private office … and from what I heard, the room is completely sound-proof…'_

_'Hawkeye? She is ambitious, even more so than Mustang,' Joe Miller (Central City) adds. 'She turns down at least eight men each day … and she doesn't even think that they are worth a little explication why she doesn't want to go out with them. But, of course, a woman who has Mustang all for herself doesn't waste her time with unimportant guys.' He laughs. 'And the poor guy is in for a big surprise, honestly. Because Miss Hawkeye … she is too ambitious to focus her aim on just one important man of our society. She was seen dating Bendix Llewellyn sometimes in May … and she even accompanied Lieutenant General Grumman to the last Military Ball…'_

_On the other side, Jade Mustang, the gorgeous cousin of the poor victim of Miss Hawkeye's intention to make herself a well-known person in Amestris, speaks up for their defence. 'Whatever you want to write, boy, I will kill you if you quote me wrong in this part. Roy is a good guy, honestly. Sometimes he is a little bit distracted by his research but most of the time he is a great friend,' she says. 'And exactly the same goes for Riza. They are such a fitting couple and I really support their relationship. Roy needs someone who can keep him in line – and Riza is doing quite an amazing job there, really.'_

_So … big, romantic love story with true feelings on both sides – or just the cold-hearted scheming of a woman who wants to be more than a soldier one day? It is a known fact that Mustang and Hawkeye have some physical relationship … but what's the motivation behind it?_

_But now, some really interesting pictures appeared (see page 4) and maybe it is time to question their relationship again since the new snapshots seem to prove that their little tryst in Ishbal had a really pretty and exceptionally gifted consequence: a daughter, maybe seven years old._

_Read more on page 4_

* * *

Olivier's face was colder than the winter up at Briggs as she ripped the newspaper apart. She jumped out of her chair, grabbed her coat and hurried to get to Central Headquarter because she had to speak with Bendix and some other people who had been brought in trouble because of this damn newspaper article. She hadn't even to search Bendix. He stood like an angry angel in front of her office and his face told her that she already knew the facts – and that he was less than happy about it too.

"Liv," he said calmly as she came closer but she knew that he was forcing himself stay cool.

"Ben," she replied and for a second she wished that he would show his true feelings. "I guess that you read that piece of rubbish too," she went on as she opened the office. "What do you think of it? Why is someone trying to destroy Riza's image that way?"

He hesitated for a second. "I was wondering if the quote of Miss Mustang is the truth," he said. "I somehow have a hard time to believe it … seeing that she is one of mama's most favourite soldiers … and seeing that we had trouble with the press last year."

"You read the part where they accused your niece to sleep her way up to the top?" she asked with a little frown. "I am not so bothered by the part of our engagement because everyone who has a clue of life will know that it is rubbish … but Riza … her reputation will be stained for the rest of her life … and we can't allow something like that!"

He nodded. "We won't allow it," he said. "I already called Radio Capital … I will be on air in half an hour … I will tell them all that Rize is my niece and that our lawyers will rip them apart when they don't print a revocation for the newspaper tomorrow. I am not doing it because I want to clean my own name. I am just worried how Laila will take this … and what Riza will do…"

* * *

Jade cursed and even though Roy would have stopped her usually, he found himself nodding at all the insults she threw at the reporter who had written this – as she so eloquently put it – _piece of crap_. She was angry and he knew that she wouldn't calm down until she would run out of oxygen – and that could take a while. He wasn't happy about it either but he found it slightly amusing that the person who had written the stupid article hadn't been able to get to the point if Riza was the plain woman who just used him to become famous and rich or if he was the bad guy who used his poor, beautiful female subordinate to fulfil his 'needs'. He was offended by the whole article, of course, but he remembered Camilla Robertson and he knew that he had turned her down because he had disliked her attitude towards Riza from second **one.** He also remembered Joe Miller, a barkeeper in his old favourite bar, who had tried to flirt with Riza when she had come to pick him and Maes after they had gotten drunk after Kay's funeral.

"Do you know what really annoys me?" Jade shrieked. "The _nerve_ of this person! I mean, I never talked to the press! I hate them! I would do everything do avoid that my name is printed again!"

He smirked. "I just wanted to offer you to kill you but I am pretty sure that your name would be in all the newspapers after your untimely death…"

Her glare came and she sat down while her hands came up to cover her face. "And now?"

"Thirty-eight minutes and twelve seconds," he said as he collapsed next to her. "New record for you, I guess…" He shrugged. "Jade, I need to talk with Riza but … please … do me a favour and do something to ensure that Izumi won't get to know of this article. She will kill me. Aunty Chris and your mother would maybe try to kill me but Aunty Iz … she would really do it…"

She looked at him with a smile. "I am on my way," she said and flipped her hair back.

There was a reason why she had always been Roy's best solution when there was trouble with a newspaper article. She had had some of those two when she had become a state alchemist after the war and some had even claimed that she had just become a state alchemist to become as famous as her cousin and she had just smiled because she had found it hilarious.

* * *

Alex Louis Armstrong didn't found it so hilarious. As soon as he had read the article, he stormed off to find his elder sister. He found Olivier in her office where she said on her desk with a very smug smirk on her lips. "Oh, hey there, Alex," she said icily as he barged in.

"Sister! What it the meaning of this?" he yelled, completely confused.

"Oh … you are talking about that article?" she asked nonchalantly. "Yeah … just to inform you … I am not engaged with Benny. He is not my type of guy at all, Alex. He is like a twin brother for me … and I think it would be kind of gross if I would marry my twin." She shuddered. "Anything else, Alex, or can I listen to Ben's first public radio spot now?"

"Radio?" he asked, more confused than ever before.

"He decided it would be the fastest way to eliminate those rumours," she shrugged.

"Oh…" her little brother nodded and sat down on the couch. "I will listen to it too."

* * *

Charlotte Llewellyn was in a mood that would scare any homunculus to death. She stood in her office in West City and her eyes were trained on the newspaper article on her precious little granddaughter and her wonderful great-granddaughter. And Charlotte hated it when someone dared to mess with her family. So she left her office in a flash and took a car key from the reception before she rushed down to the parking lot and got a car. Eleven minutes and twenty surpassed speed-limits later, she reached the publishing house of the Western Times. She ran through the entrance hall, scaring everyone who saw her face before she barged into the publisher's office and slammed the actual edition on the man's table. "WHY?" she hissed.

"Lieutenant General Llewellyn…" the man said surprised, no, shocked. "What are you doing here, Madam? Rumour was you were still in East City…"

"I came home late last night," she said. "And I want an explication. How dare you to insult my granddaughter like that? Have you any idea of the consequences this article will have for her?"

The man looked at her like paralysed. "Your … your grand…granddaughter?" he asked.

She stared down at him with a merciless smirk on her lips. "My granddaughter, yes," she hissed, "and you people should know how much I hate the press! The press was one of the reasons why my daughters left me! The press is one of the reasons why my son is terrified of eating out with someone he likes because it could be in the newspaper the next day." She turned to leave. "I highly advise you to correct your mistake and to apologise if you don't want to be sued. I just employed some new lawyers … and they are bloodhounds. They will rip you apart in thin air if you aren't more careful in the future. I hope I don't have to visit tomorrow."

* * *

Riza just sighed as she read the article. She was over the phase she would have felt insulted by something that ridiculous – and she knew her family good enough to know that her wonderful grandmother had most likely already taken the necessary steps to ensure that she wouldn't be harmed by such a pathetic campaign against her. It was nearly funny that people actually thought that she could be hurt with things like that.

Laila laughed about the whole article because she found it just too funny that there were people who were stupid enough to mess with Aunty Olivier and Granny Charlotte. In Laila's cool and rational logic, these people had to be slightly suicidal … because neither Olivier nor Charlotte would leave it at that.

"More cacao, Laila?" Riza asked as she put the newspaper down.

The girl grinned. "I would love to, mommy," she said.

Roy barged in like the homunculi were behind him and he was disturbed when he saw that both of them were calm about the whole thing. "You aren't angry?" he asked.

Riza just raised her eyebrow at him. "Whatever the idiot who wrote that rubbish thinks of himself, he has no idea that he probably wanted to much," she said. "The little scandal about us, oh goodness, we will cope. We always coped. Don't forget that it's not the first time. But I am really interested in Olivier's reaction … if we see her with a bloody sword today; we will know what she did to the publisher who let this article pass."

"How can you be that relaxed about this whole thing?" he asked.

"Well, you lived together with Kay for years and you never heard of the scandal she and I had in our youth?" she asked with eyes full of disbelief. "It was in all big newspapers that we were some bullies who blackmailed younger kids into stealing things for us. Back then when everyone hated us and no one besides our family seemed to believe us; we vowed that we would never allow a stupid rumour to affect our lives in any shape or form."

He shook his head as he started to laugh. "And here I am, worried that you would ditch me to clean your once pure reputation…" he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I have a day off today … even though Bradley hates me, he understood that I didn't want to work today."

"The best thing about the situation is that Olivier and Ben won't be happy either."

* * *

Bendix was outraged as he entered the building. He knew that everything was prepared for his little speech but right before he could start, a pretty woman stormed into the room and snatched the microphone away before she started to talk.  
"My dear people of Amestris," she said. "This is Lieutenant Colonel Jadelina Christina Mustang speaking. Some may remember me from the articles some years ago when I was called an 'over-ambitious bitch who wants to steal her cousin's fame'. That I am speaking up today should tell you that I never intended to steal Roy's fame. Honestly, I have more than enough fame of my own. I am Breeze Soul, just in case you don't where to put me, I am the daughter of Abigail Mustang and Alain Tempest and the older, better-looking twin sister of Philippe Abel Mustang." She paused. "Today, I talk to all of you to tell you that the story some fool wrote about my cousin, his aide and her daughter is not true and that it is really hurtful for him to read those lies about himself in the newspaper.

He asked me to tell you some facts. First of all: the girl is not his daughter. The identity of the girl should be protected. It's the one thing to stain an adult's reputation with so insulting lies … but it is another story as soon as you drag an innocent girl of barely six years into the mud." She exhaled slowly. "I am not much of a talker because I usually prefer to listen but when I am faced with such an insult of an honourable young woman, I can't help but speak up. I am speaking to everyone who believes the … the … the…" She was at a loss for words.

"…offensive lies that my niece, Riza Hawkeye, slept with her former superior to gain promotions," Bendix jumped in, "and I can just advise you not to tell my mother that you believe that crap because I am pretty sure that she will react highly offended – and please, people, always keep the following rule in mind: an offended Charlotte Llewellyn is a lethal Charlotte Llewellyn." He stopped to smirk. "In case you can't guess who I am: Brigadier General Bendix Llewellyn is speaking with all of you. And even though Olivier is a wonderful woman and even though I admire her brilliant skill to scare even the toughest men, we are not engaged. Honestly, how can you even think something like that? We always made a point of the fact that we are just close friends. If it doesn't get into your little brain that men and women can be friends without having sex, I highly advise you to make an appointment with a therapist. Maybe he can help you."

Jade had a hard time to suppress her low chuckle and her hand covered her mouth.

"And even though it is probably not allowed to say this in a public radio: the next who dares to stain my niece's reputation will meet my friends," Bendix went on. "They are called Anger and Fury – but most people know them as my right and my left fist. And for those who doesn't know it: I used to train with Olivier for the biggest part of my childhood. No one ever beat my in a fist fight and I don't intend to let this fact change…"

* * *

In Resembool, Phil was hugging the radio as he laughed.

In Dublith, Sig just nodded as a little grin appeared on his face.

Up at Briggs, Miles chuckled to himself.

Underneath the Armstrong's mansion, Buccaneer was celebrating.

In East City, Leroy Grumman and Rebecca Catalina shook each other's hands.

In Central City, Chris Mustang, Roy, Riza, Laila, Olivier and Alex were grinning like mad.


	28. The return of Mrs Robinson

**The return of Mrs Robinson**

* * *

Izumi stared at the white desert in front of her as she left Briggs that day. She disliked snow but not for the same reason other people hated it. Snow reminded her of the first big loss she had had, all those years ago. Maybe some would say that the first loss had destroyed her because it had made her think about Human Transmutation for the first time. She could still see her only brother in front of her. His smile and his strong sense for justice … his gentle voice and his soft eyes … yes, Abel had been the most perfect brother a girl could wish for.

The young Izumi had envied her older sister Abigail for being Abel's twin but now she knew that Abel's tragic death had shattered Abby. The older sister had been a perfect daughter. She had avoided trouble like the plague and Izumi wondered why Abigail had confessed her poisonous thought to her, right after the funeral. _'I can't accept his death,'_ the older one had said and her voice had been full of bitterness. _'Abel … he had so much he had still to reach…'_

Abigail, the one who had been supposed the perfect daughter, the one who should have brought pride and honour to her parents, the gifted one … she had been the first who had thought it. It … the forbidden thought … she had been the first to rebel against fate. She hadn't done it, in the end, her sense of duty had won out and she had forgotten her plan to bring her beloved twin brother back. She had become happy with her children. She had found another source of joy … and she had never regretted.

Izumi remembered the day when she had come across the symbol she wore on her collarbone now. Of course, Little Miss Perfect had showed it to her. The older sister had been inspired of the meaning of the symbol and wore it too, in a smaller and more appropriate way, hidden on her right foot. She had told Izumi that Abel had showed her the book where it had been printed.

The sisters still wore it even though their brother was gone. They didn't wear it out of sorrow or grief. To Abigail, it was a matter of pride to show the whole world that she had read the book about Flamel who had been the owner of the symbol, centuries ago. Izumi wore it as some kind of connection with her dead brother and her living sister because once upon a time, they had been a team and she still missed both of them. While it was a symbol of pride to Abigail, it was a symbol of regret to Izumi. Over the years she had learnt while her brother had been so … fascinated with the symbol. The snake, symbol of temptation, bound by the stake … beaten, defeated. The wings, a symbol of arrogance, bound by the crown. Yes, Izumi liked to imagine that she saw the things Abigail never saw in it, the things Abel had seen in it. Neither Roy, the son of the man who had found the symbol, nor Jade or Phil wore the symbol. Izumi liked to tell herself that it was the symbol of the alchemists who had thought about breaking the taboo … and of those who had done it in the end.

Abigail had never done it. Maybe because she lacked the inner strength or out of the strange sense of intuition she sometimes possessed … or maybe, because she had been too smart and too subdued to mess with fate and the truth, but she had thought about it first … and sometimes, Izumi liked to pretend to herself that her sister had tempted her into breaking the taboo. Yes, the smart and clever Abigail had been smart enough to step back from it because of her intelligence.

Izumi herself, she hadn't been as smart. Or well, she had been too proud, too arrogant to listen to the warnings. She had been angry and anger was never a good adviser. She had tried to tell herself that it had been the last time that she messed with the fate and now she found herself into the cold, thinking of her brother and her sisters who were dead or far away.

She could still remember the Golden Days when they had used to play in the snow but those times were gone forever since Abel had died on a winter's day. Izumi had always blamed her brother's death on her sister because she had needed the sick satisfaction to see Abigail with a hurt and broken expression on her face. Because even the Princess of the family could fall.

* * *

"You were bloody brilliant during the speech," Bendix said as he followed Jade out of the building. "You really have talent for these things…"

She looked over her shoulder to smile at him. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't call me sir, Miss Mustang. Friends of Riza are friends of mine … and I really would like to go out with you sometimes…"

She shook her head. "I do never date men with a reputation like yours."

"Ah … somebody really believes what everyone is saying and writing about me?" he chuckled while he didn't know if he should be flattered or offended. "You can ask Liv about it if you want to … I am not half as bad as my reputation may suggest. I am a nice guy."

"You are known as a shameless flirt, nearly as bad as my own cousin."

"Yeah … because I am a close friend of two women who are well-known for their high standards when it comes to men, that's why I am _obviously_ sleeping with them. Just for the record: I shared a bed with Olivier since we were little babies and in all these years, nothing ever happened between us." He shrugged. "Despite the popular belief; I do not date everything in a skirt. I am a good boy and my mama is really proud of me."

"Honestly?" she frowned at him.

"Honestly," he smiled at her. "So … I pick you up at seven, Miss Mustang?"

"You won't take no as an answer, am I correct?"

"I am a true Llewellyn – what do you expect from me?"

"Good question."

"Really … you were my mama's personal assistant for the past three years and you still wonder about our attitude?" Bendix' lips curled upwards to form a smug smile.

"The General knows what she is doing … usually at least…"

"That's a perfect description of my dearest mother!" Bendix laughed.

* * *

It was lunchtime when the doorbell rang. Riza got up from the couch where she sat with Roy and Laila and opened the door. Mrs Esmeralda Robinson stood there with a bowl of soup in her hands. "Good morning, Miss Hawkeye," she said.

"Good morning, Mrs Robinson," the blonde said.

"I read this terrible article about you, your daughter and your fiancé today," the old woman went on. "And I really hope that you don't mind me barging in but I really wanted to give you a little bit of soup. Anyhow, is your handsome uncle in?"

"No, Mrs Robinson, he is still away. And the soup is for us?"

"Yes, Miss Hawkeye," she said with a smile. "I hope I don't insult you but I always wondered how you can organise your life with your _adorable_ daughter **and** your carrier…"

"I have many friends who help me now and then."

"Friends like Mr Mustang?"

"Friends like Mr and Miss Mustang and Miss Armstrong, yes," Bendix calm and collected voice said as the handsome man appeared on the stairs. "Hello, Mrs Robinson," he said politely. "I hope you are fine."

"Hello, Mr Llewellyn," the woman said as she blushed slightly. "Yes, I am fine … but … how are you today?"

He grinned at her. "I feel wonderful since I corrected all those lies with Miss Mustang."

"I heard it on the radio … you were absolutely amazing!" Mrs Robinson said.

"Miss Mustang was a really great partner," Bendix said with a little smirk.

Riza suppressed her own little smirk as she took the soup. "Thank you very much, Mrs Robinson, it's really nice from you," she said. "Ben, follow me please."

"Of course, dearest niece," he said as he bowed to the old lady before he entered the apartment.

"The old lady has really a little crush on you," Riza chuckled.

"What can I say? I am incredibly handsome and exceptionally smart…" he grinned.

"Don't forget modest, Ben," she sighed.

"Who was it?" Roy asked as they entered the living room.

"Mrs Robinson; she brought soup," she smiled at him.

"I don't like her," he muttered. "And I believe that this feeling is mutual."

"Mrs Robinson has a total crush on dear old Bendix," she shrugged as she handed the bowl to her uncle. "Maybe she likes men who are sly and attractive in a more … obvious way than you."

"Just because he looks like all the men of your family who have been painted from the most talented and popular artists of their times and adored by hundreds of women…" he pouted.

"Never forget that there was never a case of divorce in our family," Bendix shouted from the kitchen. "We may be hot as hell but we always stay faithful to the one we love."

"You are getting cocky, Uncle Ben!" Laila laughed. "Mommy is right; you should be more modest."

"There is no fun in playing this game if you are modest," he replied as he appeared in the doorway. His messy blond hair had a pale shade of gold and his eyes had the colour of emeralds. He was the perfect heir of his family but he had always thought that the Llewellyn-Grumman-family lacked a little spot of blue. So he grinned as he leaned against the doorframe. "I need to tell Liv that I will come later tonight," he said, seemingly unfazed. "We are buying some new pictures for the entrance hall tomorrow, so she wanted to stay at my place tonight."

"You are still too close to her," Riza scolded. "This will get you in trouble one day, Ben. Mark my words. One day, Bradley will accuse the two of you of fraternisation or something…"

"I rather get in trouble because of a non-existent fraternisation issue than for the treason I really play to commit right now," Bendix shrugged. "And I already talked over the issue with Liv and she agreed. Both of us are willing to sacrifice our reputations for our goal."

"Grandmother will rip you apart piece by piece in thin air if she should ever hear of this," Riza warned as she sat down next to Roy who wrapped his arm tightly around her. "Of course, the thing is not the big issue it used to be in the past but still, you would get in trouble, Benny."

"I will rather get in trouble for something like that than I am willing to betray all of you."

"I can promise you that your stubborn attitude is digging you an untimely grave, Bendix!"

"You always worry too much, Little Hawk," her uncle shrugged. "Honestly, you are worrying more on my behalf than mama and dad together. And they already think that I am going to die as soon as I leave their field of view. C'mon, girl, take a step back and relax. Life is too short to play by any rules. Take your chances and live every single day like it could be your last. The one thing I won't do when I am dying one day it having any regrets … because now, I can always make up for my faults because I have time. The day the bullet hits me, it will be too late … and I refuse to allow myself have any regrets the minute I finally go down forever."

Roy stayed silent after this sudden outburst of the higher-ranking officer but when Riza brought him to the door when Laila was tucked in and everything was fine, he grabbed her arms and pulled her close before he kissed. Because even though Bendix Llewellyn was still the last person he would ever call his confident, the man was right. Life was too damn short to play by the rules. He should have understood this after the death of his friends but maybe he had been too much of a coward to think this thought like all the others had thought it.  
Serena who had never looked back, even though it had been a glorious past for her, her fate should have told him that every day was something special and that he should enjoy every breath he took. Lynn and Martin who had died with a smile on her face and in each other's arms, knowing that the world would move on, even without them … they had taught him that every moment was precious and that just a complete fool would waste it. Kay who had taken every chance to find a little, shattered piece of happiness in Aerugo and Charles who had lived everyday like some kind of party had been a silent reminder that no one deserved a second chance and a little piece of happiness even after all the sins he committed.

Even though Riza shared his regrets regarding the war, she had been around Ben and all the others for such a long time that she had understood their idea many years ago. So she just threw her arms around his neck to kiss him back. She loved him, even after everything she had suffered because of him and his decision. Maybe love really made blind and stupid, maybe it really made her numb towards all the pain she went through by loving him. She just knew that she never would be able to stop loving him because he … he was so wonderful, so reckless yet so caring.

As their need for oxygen became too strong, they pulled back and Roy's thumb gently stroked her cheekbone. "You still kiss like you used to," he whispered before he kissed her forehead. "It's nice to see that at least that never changed about you."

She smiled up at him while her cheeks were flushed and her fingers were still entangled in his dark hair. "And you still smell and taste the same," she said with a little smirk of her own. "I guess my assumptions were right after all … you still use the cologne Kay gave you once."

He shrugged as he stroked her hair. "I liked the smell … and from what I remember, you liked it too, so don't complain about it," he said as he kissed her cheek. "And you, my dear Miss _Sunshine_, look still adorable when your face is a little bit pink and flushed," he added smugly.

* * *

"So … Ling…" Greed began another conversation with his host. "What about your girl?"

The prince sighed. "I told you that she is off-limits for you," he hissed.

"But why? She is just another woman…"

Ling would have strangled him if it had been possible. "She is the reason why this body is still alive, Greed!" he hissed. "When you meet her, treat her with respect. She is a wonderful person."

"Do you love her?" the homunculus asked boldly.

For a second, Ling was surprised before he lowered his head. "I care for her … more than I probably should," he admitted, "and yes, I really love her … but it will always stay a dream. She is under the strange impression that I am something better than her … and well … I respect her too much to order her into something. As soon as I am emperor, I will make her my adviser. This is the highest I can put her without overstepping any boundaries…"

"Do you think she loves you too?" Greed inquired.

"I suspected it … but when she cut off her arm, I knew it for sure. Still, it won't change anything."

"Why can't you make her your favourite concubine or something as soon as you are the big boss of your little country? It should be possible, isn't it?"

"It would be possible, yes," Ling said reluctantly, "but it would stain her reputation forever. People would hate her … they would call her a whore … and I will never do that to her."


	29. Promised Day I

**Promised Day I**

* * *

Time moved faster than anyone wanted it and before they knew, the Promised Day had come. It was for all of them a matter of to be or not to be. Jade and Roy were probably main targets because they were state alchemists and since Edward was still gone, everyone feared that the others could attack the Mustangs. Riza was worried because of Laila who would stay with Gracia and Maes at their new house and her worries made her even paler than usual. Olivier was a little bit nervous because she and Bendix would sit right in the middle of the storm that day. Bendix himself were still grinning because of the wonderful date he had spent with Jade Mustang and his smirk was a little bit smug whenever he thought about that evening. It had been a nice and very calm date but she hadn't say no when he had asked her if they could go out again sometimes. At the same he knew that it would be really foolish to deepen their relationship because that would make her just another target. It was already risky enough that Olivier was a known friend of his and his family … and Bendix wouldn't endanger another person.

* * *

"Good to meet you one last time, Phil," Jade said softly as she looked at her brother who wore a hat while the high collar of his jacket hid the lower part of his face. "Everything ends now, huh?"

"I am surprised to see you here, Jadelina," he replied softly as he wrapped one arm around her.

"Yes, I am surprised that I am here as well," she agreed as she shook her head. "We would have needed her in this situation, you know? She would have been an ally we will miss now."

"You hate graveyards," he stated. "You always hated them … it was a fight for me to make you go to grandmother's funeral … and you nearly skipped even Lynn's…"

"Memories are good and everything … but I don't want to lose myself in them because this would mean to lose touch with reality," she replied softly. "Still, I will never forgive what happened to Lynn and Martin. They were my friends … and I loved them both. It's just the same you feel with Serena … she was your best friend, right? And that means that you loved her – platonically."

"I just can't believe that she died like that … without a warning. Anyway, when I find the bastard who killed her, there will be hell to pay. Serena was my best friend and she understood me better than I understand myself. Without her, I have no support system. Jade … I need her back."

"The dead don't return, Phil," she sighed. "Remember what happened to Aunt Izumi."

"But … what if she only got the array wrong … what if there **is** a way?" he whispered.

She hugged him tightly and for once, she ignored that he hated being hugged by her. "There is no array and there is no way," she muttered softly as she patted his shoulder. "That's why people like you and me should be banished from all the graveyards. We get ideas … terrible ideas … ideas that make us desire things we shouldn't desire…"

"You are truly a wise woman, Jadelina," he said as he removed her arms. "But even you cannot understand all the things, you see? Serena and I … we shared a hope."

"I know," she said as she brushed back a strand of her black hair. "But I really don't know what else I know right now … my life is based on knowledge and yet I know nothing…"

"Jadelina…" he said carefully.

"I am being childish. Forget what I just said," she said coolly.

"Being childish is something you haven't done since we were eight," he replied. "You are the most mature among us, Jade, and we will need you like this. We need you strong and unwavering, beautiful and colder than ice. Anything else would get all of us killed."

"Thanks for calming me down," she snapped at him. "I know my place – unlike you!"

"We shouldn't argue like this in front of our friends," he said as he walked away from her.

"And when _will_ you talk?" she whispered as she watched him leave.

* * *

As the explosion shook the train and everyone screamed, Fuhrer King Bradley realised two things. First of all, he wouldn't have to pay so many useless humans any longer. Second: he had done it again. He had underestimated Lieutenant General Charlotte Llewellyn, the thorn in his side, and this time, she had hit him with all the skills this lousy human woman possessed. The smell of the explosive was familiar and Bradley knew that this mixture was just used by the Tigress of the West herself and her pupils who were stationed in East City under the command of her husband.

_'I will bring you down one day, Llewellyn!'_ he vowed as he escaped his death. _'One day, Llewellyn, you will make the mistake of underestimating me and you will regret it bitterly!'_

* * *

One the other side of the ravine, Charlotte Llewellyn chuckled to herself as she turned around to look at Charlie. "Well done, men," she said with a little smile. "Move right along to Central City; I will help my husband to coordinate the rescue squads. It's really very positive that Briggs is here … since most of Liv's men trust me nearly as much as they trust their queen…"

"You are Ice Queen Mum for them," Charlie smirked as he took the phone.

"I am no old Britannian widow of a once great king!" the female general hissed. "Whatever my rank was, I always got there with my own skills and not because someone thought that the old Fuhrer's daughter should be more than a simple soldier, Charlie!"

He laughed. "It's really funny that this topic never fails to make you mad," he stated. "I know that you are a great commander, madam. I served under you for nine years, I should know this."

She calmed down and looked around. "Well, it's time for me to sneak back to East City," she said.

"Tell your husband that he should keep a low profile," the man with the lightening in his hair said with a little grin. "The last thing we need right now is that the heroes of the Western Wars are marked as traitors … so I guess that you will need to play a grieving soldier who just lost her wonderful and **human** superior."

* * *

"Mommy." Laila looked up at her mother as Riza turned to leave. "Promise me that you will be back, yes? I love you … please, don't leave me…"

Riza kneeled down and kissed her forehead. "I will be back," she said solemnly. "I promise it."

The thin arms of the girl were wrapped around her neck as Laila cried. Riza held her and rubbed her back. "Pssch…" the blond woman whispered. "I will be back soon, little princess. You don't need to worry for me. I will fight my way back to you." The girl still cried and Riza let go of her. "Keep an eye on the others," she said. "I trust you to be attentive, Laila. And try to read a book or something. If you distract yourself, I will be probably back before you notice that I was ever gone in first place." She reluctantly let go of her daughter as she got up to straighten herself. "I trust you to be careful, Laila."

"Mommy, please … don't die, alright?" the girl begged.

"I will try my best and stay alive." Riza grabbed her rifle from the table. "See you later, princess."

* * *

"Aunty Chris won't be happy that you blow her bar up," Jade said as she leaned herself against the wall underneath her aunt's pub. "I mean … she has worked really hard for this…"

"I am sure that your mother will loan her the money she needs to build it up again," Roy said with a shrug. "And, Jade, as soon as we enter this battlefield, you will be marked as a traitor."

"It's a little bit too late for me to run," she said. "Listen, Roy. You of all people know that I am loyal to a fault. To fight today is the only big chance I will ever have to make a difference. Don't try to talk me out of it. I chose that way and … I will not leave now."

"So … what is your ulterior motive this time?" he asked.

She looked at him and her nearly black eyes were nothing but serious. "I want to get out alive."

"That's all you are planning right now?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"To fight with you and all the others gives me a better chance to survive this day than fighting against you and with the Pirate King," she said as she handed him another wire.

"So … it's also a little bit of selfishness in your noble decision?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I am just trying to make this world a better place," she said. "I believe you of all people should understand this, Roy. Maybe it wasn't your dream that caused all the faults and mistakes in your life. Maybe it was the time which wasn't right yet."

* * *

"Are they still in there?" a man asked his colleague.

The other man nodded. "We knew from the colonel that he is some kind of a womaniser but that he drags his cousin into the same mess…" he shrugged. "And well, the guy has to be great in corrupting innocent women since he even got the great Hawk's Eye into his bed…"

"I am not so sure if a woman who killed so many people can be called 'innocent'," the first man said and wanted to add something as their other colleague appeared. The next half minute passed in a flash. The newcomer told them that Madame Christmas was the alias of Christina 'Chris' Mustang and they entered the building just before it exploded.

* * *

Underneath the town, Chris sighed deeply as she looked at the both young soldiers. "You owe me, both of you," she stated. "Jade, I hope you made sure that your mother left the country."

Out of her nieces and nephews, Jade had always been the one Chris had never trusted as much as she would have wanted because the young woman was too much of a mystery. It was nearly impossible to know why Jade did the things she did because the girl was too much like a snake. She could get out of so many situations that would cost Roy his head while she was still – relatively – unharmed after everything she went through.

"Of course I took care of this," Jade smiled. "Well, I don't want to kill the mood but … hey … we have a really important appointment with some other guys now…"

Chris took her suitcase. "Try to stay alive," she ordered. "Both of you … and should you see good old Llewellyn sometimes in the next days, tell her that I was really surprised when I checked little Elizabeth's neighbour … and that I compliment her for this brilliancy."

"I'll tell her," Roy promised as he looked at Jade. "Let's hurry up before they leave without us."

* * *

Heymans Breda and Kain Fuery grinned as the door to the abandoned ware house opened and Riza came in. Heymans knew that it was usually Jean's place to tease her, but he couldn't resist. So he walked up to her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. "It has been a while since we saw you, Your Highness," he said. "And when we missed you the most, we could read in the newspaper that our little Princess is really a direct descendant from our wonderful queen and our great king…" he chuckled. "I was really hurt that you never told us."

She glared at him as she removed his arm from her shoulder. "You saw the papers," she said. "You know that Laila isn't even my biological daughter, Breda. And so she isn't his daughter."

"Well, we will never know about the depth of the relationship between Flame and Lightening."

Riza's jaw tightened. "I can hardly believe that a woman who misses her husband that much that she nearly broke during the war would cheat on the man she loves since they were kids with the former fiancé of her best friend," she stated with a faint hiss in her voice. "And I believe that they would have told me about it if they would have had an affair because I was there too."

"You know that I am just messing around, Hawkeye," Heymans grinned, "and we all know that he hadn't had an affair with Hamilton. We all know that he had an affair with you."

She had a hard time to suppress her blush before she turned her back at him. "I really wonder why he chose you and not someone who has actually some manners," she muttered darkly.

"Because I am handsome and a great cook," he replied.

"I can second the last statement," Kain threw in, "while I disagree with the first."

Riza sat down on a box with Hayate on her lap while she hoped that the colonel would hurry up a little bit. She liked her old team but she really wondered if they would stay strong enough during the whole nightmare … because it would be hard on all of them.

* * *

Olivier was happy that she could hide her hands underneath the table because they trembled a little bit. She sat too close to the creature known as Father and she had to suppress the urge to jump up and stab him right there. Her gaze met Bendix' and his smile was strangely forced. He sat the most far away possible from her and she hated herself for feeling nothing but worries and fear for his life as she looked at him. She tried to look back at Father but it was not possible for her. She was too focused on the young man who could die today.

Bendix himself felt nothing but calmness and serenity as he stared at the man who sat right in front of him. He could feel that this creature was evil but he did a wonderful job by hiding these emotions of fear and worries. His face was a perfect mask and he could even smile a little bit to fool the other generals into believing that he meant no harm. Many people tended to make a huge mistake and underestimated him. For most of them, it was the last thing they ever did. Of course, to the eye of most people he was hardly more than the sidekick of Olivier Armstrong but he was much more than just that. He was a 'shadow dancer' as Olivier called him. He stayed in the background and sneaked up to his prey until he was sure that he could kill with one blow. He was the prefect predator and no one could escape him when he was close enough to launch his attack. He was hardly noticed by anyone because of his calm demeanour but who's who truly knew him knew how outgoing and aggressive he could be as soon as friends of his were in danger. He would by angry and his anger would be lethal as soon as he saw friends under attack.

Maybe that was the reason why they were such a brilliant team. Olivier would be the light and lure the moths into her lethal trap while Bendix was the heat that would eventually kill the moths. They had used this technique back in academy – and it was one of the many reasons why they had been the best cadets of their year. They were unbeatable as a team.

* * *

"Why didn't you stay behind?" Edward asked as he caught up with Phil after the fight against Pride and Gluttony. Greed was gone and Lan Fan was somewhere in the dark while Fu sat next to Hohenheim on a broken tree.

The older state alchemist turned around, his face dead serious. "I need to cross the battlefield if I want to help my sister," he said. "Jade is brilliant … but under pressure, she makes mistakes. And her mistakes can cause trouble for everyone around her."

"That doesn't answer my question," the golden-haired boy stated. "You could stay at the sidelines until the battle is over … but you decided to go straight through the fight."

"In my family, no one would ever leave a friend behind," Phil said. "And you could say that we like to flirt with the danger. We are addicted to adrenaline … and we need the challenge."

"If you die, I will be the last to cry for you!" Edward yelled at him.

Breeze Heart smirked as he turned his gaze towards Central. "You are really something else, Elric," he said. "You tell me that I am being a fool because I want to fight for my sister … and at the same time, you would sacrifice yourself for your brother. I don't like people with double standards, honestly. So you say that it is okay if you are reckless but I am not allowed to be the same?" he chuckled. "Jade believes in me … and I will never let her down again."

"There is a difference between you and me, Mustang," Edward said. "I basically killed my little brother once because I was too arrogant and now I can't allow myself to fail him against. You saw that the armour is empty, Breeze Heart, and I am pretty sure that you know why."

The older man nodded slightly. "I can imagine what happened," he agreed, "but you are still very wrong. You say that there is a difference between you and me. I don't think so because … I know a little bit of your story while you know nothing of mine."

"I can hardly believe that you ever risked your sister's life, Mustang," Edward said. "If you did it, she would hardly still believe in you … because she is smarter than Colonel Bastard … and even though I dislike him, I have to admit that he is something smarter than he looks."

Phil sighed deeply. "You are right when you say that I never purposefully risked her life," he said, "but still, I am responsible for most of the scars Jade has … on her body and on her soul." His face betrayed his self-hatred for the smallest part of a second. "Ask her after the scars no one ever saw … and maybe she will tell you the story of the day when I failed her … and I nearly lost her."

"What did you do?" Fullmetal asked.

"I didn't do my paperwork, missed an important information and she got shot."

* * *

"It has been a while, Mrs Curtis," Buccaneer said as he finally had the courage to speak with the infamous housewife. "I hope you are fine."

She looked at him and nodded slightly. "I am fine, Captain Buccaneer," she said. "And from what I can see in your eyes, you are still under some pressure … some emotion occupies your heart."

He sighed deeply. "I am not sure if you heard of the death of Major Serena Hamilton," he said as he stared down at the floor. "But even if you would have heard of it, you would not know why her death has such an impact on me." He raised his head to look at her. "You probably won't be interested in this … but she was my girlfriend and I wanted to marry her." He took out the simple black box from his chest pocket and opened it. The ring was plain yet beautiful. He sighed. "Ever since she is dead," he went on, "I carry it around with me. It's some kind of reminder … life is too short to wait for anything to happen. Sometimes, risks have to be taken."

She gently smiled at him. "I never knew her personally," she said, "but many people told me that Major Hamilton was a wonderful woman, nice and caring. I am sure that she is proud of you."

He stared at the ring again before he looked back at her. "Mrs Curtis, should I die today," he said with a little frown, "could you make sure that this ring will find its way to her?"

The housewife nodded because she could see that this man was broken beyond repair. He would not commit suicide but he had no reason beside his duty why he had to stay alive. She hoped that he wouldn't do anything foolish but at the same time she realised that love could kill.

* * *

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ling protested as Greed ran towards the dark city. "What are you doing?"

"I am becoming the Emperor of the whole world, stupid!" the homunculus replied.

"And I want to eat something!" the prince hissed. "C'mon, just half an hour in control, alright? You can rest a little bit and start to plan how you want to become the emperor of the whole world, Greed. I need a little bit of control right now…"

"Because you saw the girl, yes? She is really pretty … and I like her attitude! Honestly, I loved to watch how she defeated Gluttony! I really wished that I had the chance to do it but in my former life, Lust always got angry when someone attacked him … and I liked my face…"

"No! It's just that I really need some good Xingese food! I really miss it!"

"Do you know an address where a hot waitress works?" Greed being Greed asked.

He sighed. "I heard from several sources that the owner of the Golden Dragon is nice to look at."

"Well, you know where to go, boy," the homunculus said as he sat down on the backseat.

Ling grinned widely as he took control and ran towards Central. His nose was specialised in finding the best food around and led him dutifully to the Golden Dragon. He entered with a smug grin but that was wiped away quickly as the 'hot waitress' turned around to face him.

The problem was that he knew her.

Jun Li was no one less than his grandfather's most trusted bodyguard and – how could he ever forget? – Lan Fan's elder sister. He remembered her from the few times he had met his grandfather and most of the time she had stood behind the old man, mask properly in place and a kunai in her hand. Just now and then she had made her presence known by stretching her arms a little bit. Most of the time, she had said nothing. It had been so easy for him to forget that she was there. And she had been there when the six-year-old Ling had declared to his grandfather that the little prince wanted to become emperor one day and that his friend Lan Fan would be his empress. His grandfather had smiled and told him that he should probably ask the girl first before he planned the wedding while the woman behind him had stopped breathing for a minute, with the effect that Jun Yao had turned around to look at her. _'Jun Li,'_ he had said._ 'If I remember correctly, Ling's sweetheart is your sister, right?'_

The bodyguard had nodded before she had covered her eyes with her hand. _'You shouldn't encourage him, master,'_ she had said. _'You know the rules … and the Yao-clan can't afford to lose an emperor. I am sorry for my behaviour but … well … you know my opinion.'_

Back then, Ling hadn't understood her statement but when he had turned twelve, he had been mature enough to understand why the bodyguard of his grandfather had said this … and she had been right. The rules were hard and everyone had to follow them.

To see Jun Li, the woman who had crushed his dream, as a _waitress_ in a _restaurant_ was a strange feeling for Ling. He had seen her the last time when he had been seven at his grandfather's funeral and back then she had looked like a part of her had died too. This time, she looked much better, healthier. Her pale cheeks were a little bit flushed as she stared back at him … but her old expression of guilt had sneaked its way back onto her serene face.

"Jun Li…" he whispered, afraid of scaring her away.

Her shoulders formed a straight line as she looked at him. "Ling Yao," she said with a little bow as she grabbed her notepad from the counter. "Well, what do you want to eat, young master?"

"I … I wanted to ask you what you are doing here first," he said, really confused.

She sighed deeply. "I am the co-owner of the restaurant," she said. "And can I take your order now? In case you didn't notice, we have a full house tonight and I need to deal with all of it."

"Bring me something cheap, I am running out of money," Ling said with a sigh before she led him to an empty table. "And … hey, Jun Li, it's really nice to see that you can manage your life in this dangerous country. The clan was worrying a little bit if you would make it out alive."

She looked at him with her sad and always guilty expression. "I wasn't alone," she said crisply as she turned around to hurry away, leaving Ling with his utter confusion.

* * *

Olivier and Bendix were both staring at the clock over Father's head and they both wished that the time would pass a little bit slower because they would act like traitors to their cause to save the others. Olivier who had always been agnostic found herself praying to some god who would steer them out of this mess in one piece and preferably alive.

Bendix' calm green eyes met her icy blue ones and he half-heartily smiled at her. He knew how nervous she was as Father finally asked the question they had been waiting for since the strange guy had entered the room. Olivier's reply came, coolly and calm as usual for her, and only Bendix saw her slight hesitation as she played by the rules. He reassuringly winked at her and the rest of her speech was much more like herself.

Now they had done it. They had brought the ball to the penalty point – the rest of the matter was out of their hands even though both of them prayed for the best outcome possible.

* * *

Mrs Bradley was confused. She felt betrayed by a woman she had trusted and she stared at First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye's shoulders like they had an answer for her. But the blond woman was too distracted by her conversation with her former commanding officer to notice.

Finally, the two of them came to an end as Colonel Mustang relaxed and smiled. "…and I can assume that Laila is sound and safe, yes?" he asked while his fingers danced across the back of the young woman's hand. "Honestly, Riza, you had me worried as you called me yesterday…"

Miss Hawkeye just shrugged. "She wanted that I call you to make sure that she has chocolate at the safe house," she stated. "And if something like that really worries you, we should maybe think again about the whole mission."

Lieutenant Colonel Jade Mustang who drove the car sighed deeply. "Roy , I would be really happy if you could stop flirting," she hissed. "In case you didn't notice: we are trying to save the country right now and I would be really happy if the leader of this mission could support me a little bit."

The First Lady wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the blond woman who looked still at the black-haired man who was arguing with his cousin. Suddenly, Miss Hawkeye sighed as she leaned forward. Her forehead collided painfully with Mr Mustang's and he hissed in pain. "Hey!" he shouted. "What was that for, Riza? I did nothing! She was just bullying me again!"

"And he is talking about me like I am not even here!" Miss Mustang complained.

"Jade and Roy – I swear to god that I will slap both of you if you don't start to act your age now!" Miss Hawkeye ordered. "Honestly, Laila and Victoria are more mature than you!"

"It's because they are true Hawkeye-girls," the colonel said. "Hawkeye-girls are always mature and never get in trouble." His hand came up to cup Miss Hawkeye's face. "And they are always very beautiful," he added before he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

* * *

"What are you drawing, Laila?" Gracia asked as she entered the living room.

The girl raised her head and smiled. "I am drawing a library building," she announced. "I mean, did you ever see the state library from the inside? It's such an ugly building and yet no one wants to pay for a new and prettier one." She pouted. "When I am a grownup, I get very rich and build a better library," she added with a content smile of her own.

Victoria who had lain across the couch for the past hour raised her head. "I really wonder how Aunty Riza is doing," she said while she stared out into the darkness.

"Mommy will be fine," Laila stated reassuringly. "She is always fine as long as Roy doesn't get her into trouble. I think he has sometimes a really bad influence on her."

Gracia had a hard time to suppress her chuckling as she bent down to ruffle the girl's golden hair and for a second, the wife of Maes Hughes' really wondered how much the genes could do to a child when it was raised by a strict and self-confident woman like Riza Hawkeye.


	30. Promised Day II

**Promised Day II**

* * *

Olivier could barely hear Bendix' scream as they ran down the hallway. She didn't have to hear him to know that they were in trouble. To get out of the room, they had killed the two major generals which had stayed with them, and now they were officially marked as traitors. They were really lucky.

Bendix who was two steps ahead of Olivier shot twice and the Ice Queen were slightly shocked as the bullets missed her ears scarcely before they hit the two soldiers behind her. Both men were down half a second later and she looked at him. "The next time you do something like that, place warn me," she hissed. "Or were you planning on giving me a heart attack?"

He smirked at her before he stopped right in front of the stairs that would lead him into the cellar. "You know the plan, Liv," he said as he handed her one of his guns. "Stay alive … and try to get out as soon as possible, alright?"

She lowered her sword and threw her arms around him before he kissed her forehead. "If you die, Ben, I will perfect Human Transmutation to get you back to kill you myself," she hissed.

He gave her his trademark wink. "And I can't allow that you endanger yourself for my lowly existence," he chuckled. "I see you later, Liv, and don't forget to get new gloves soon."

She glared at him as they parted ways, she, with his favourite gun as some strange kind of good-luck-charm and he with nothing but his courage and his braveness. And still, as she looked over her shoulder to watch how he hurried away, she knew that she wouldn't lose her brother today.

The last thing left to do was getting out alive and killing as many high command generals as possible on her way out. And she was pretty good in this game. Or at least, so she thought before she ran into Sloth. But even the great Olivier Mira Armstrong would be wrong now and then.

* * *

"You are insane!" Edward cursed as he turned around to look at Phil. "Can you see the guards?"

The black-haired man tilted his head before he shrugged. "I just can't see your problem," he said. "Look at them; they have no idea of all the things that are going on right now. And I don't see a reason why we shouldn't enter the building through the main entrance. We are state alchemists after all and like my sister would say: _'Why did we take the test when we always play by the rules?'_" He quoted his older twin. "And now, hurry up, Fullmetal."

"You can't order me around!" Edward hissed.

"I beg to differ, young friend," Phil said with a devilish smirk on his lips. "I am a lieutenant colonel after all while you are just a major as long as you don't file in for a discharge. And seeing how much paperwork that would require I can't imagine that you would do that."

Hohenheim paused for a second. "Why do you know how much paperwork that would be?" he asked. "Does that mean that you thought about giving up?"

Phil's lips were thin. "You can say that," he said while his automail-hand covered his stomach and his face was shadowed with guilt. "I am still in the military because I was ordered into staying by the only person I would really and willingly die for. My sister didn't like the idea that I would leave her behind. She is too stubborn to let me go … even though I nearly got her killed."

Scar looked at him with a mixture of hatred (Phil was a state alchemist after all and the cousin of the man who had burnt down half Ishbal) and sympathy (because older siblings tended to be very caring and careful when it came to the younger ones). "And you listened to your sister?"

Edward snorted. "This woman is basically as insane as my old teacher and believe me, Scar, the person who would ignore her orders has still to be born," he said. "And Breeze Soul is crazy."

"I will always second that statement," Phil said with a little sigh.

Lan Fan who was really annoyed crossed her arms over her chest. "Could we please come to a decision?" she asked. "Not every one of us has actually the nerve to discuss every decision for hours before doing something!" she hissed. "And I have a duty to fulfil, so let's go!"

"Edward, listen to the lady," Hohenheim smirked. "Breeze Heart is right."

* * *

The second, Jade and Roy raised the hands as the soldiers of the Central Army entered the building, Riza felt a little tinge of fear but she swallowed it while her own gun stayed trained onto the First Lady. She was incredibly calm as she looked at Roy and as she saw how he slightly nodded, she looked back at the other soldiers, just to watch how they went down.

Charlie winked at her as he walked over to them. "It has been a while, little princess," he smirked gleefully and when Roy glared at him, he chuckled. "Your grandmother was awesome as usual."

The blond sniper smiled. "That's good to hear," she said. "Did she return to East City or did she come with you and the others?"

"Nah, she stayed in the East to fulfil her – and I quote her on that – 'wifely' duties," the expert for explosives said. "She said it around some soldiers who aren't part of the mission, so I guess that most of the people in East City will assume that her tiredness has a really good reason…"

Roy who knew the Golden Tigress of the West laughed quietly. "It's really sad that just a few persons knew about her definition of 'wifely duties'," he said. "She could change the society…"

It was a more or less known fact that Charlotte Llewellyn was hardly a classical wife. She had refused to give up her military carrier. She had refused to take her husband's name – and her son also wore her family name, maybe because of the fact that the men of the family Llewellyn were usually blessed with wonderful carriers and few sorrows. And Charlotte had referred to her husband as of her 'best friend, most trusted confident, most loyal comrade and lover'. Maybe the secret of their strong marriage was the fact that they had been childhood friends before they had become a couple at the age of fifteen. Many people were amazed by the fact that they had never split up – not even for a day. If they had marital problems, no one but them knew of it.

"Well, and the Queen of Awesomeness told me to remind you that she wishes some more great-grandchildren," Charlie said as they left the scene. "She said that she is not getting younger…"

Riza sighed. "Tell her she should pester Ben about getting her some grandchildren," she said.

Jade who was some steps behind her barely smirked as she coughed. "From what I heard, the Brigadier General isn't even married or in a relationship," she stated. "Maybe you will have to save your family's honour, Riza … and I am pretty sure that Roy would love to father your kids."

"Didn't he already?" Charlie asked. "I mean … I heard that the Hero of Ishbal and the Hawk's Eye have a daughter … or did I hear just some stupid rumour?"

Roy who saw out of the corner of his eyes how Riza's eyebrow twitched decided that it would be healthier for Charlie if Riza wouldn't punch him. "I don't know why everyone is assuming that," he said with a little frown.

"Hello?" Charlie chuckled. "You were seen kissing her during the war and from what I heard; the kid is around six years old. And I can count."

* * *

Edward, Phil, Scar and the chimeras walked through the catacombs underneath Central City as Phil suddenly froze. His eyes were closed and his ears seemed to listen to something very far away. His eyes opened again and the arrays on his gloves started to glow.

"What's going on?" Jerso asked and stared at the state alchemist.

"I don't know," the black-haired man said. "I am just improving the quality of the air down here. A little bit more oxygen can be helpful if we have to fight against someone."

Edward nodded approvingly. "I never thought that I would ever say something like that, but maybe you have some use, Mustang," he smirked. "On the other hand … our enemy would have the same advantage…"

Phil rolled his eyes. "You honestly think that I am some kind of fool, yes?" he asked. "Precision is more Jade's forte but I worked on my pinpoint-skills. I am not a state alchemist because I am so dumb, Elric. Probably you should start to have more faith in adults."

The golden-haired boy frowned at him. "Do you happen to know Maria Ross?" he asked.

"You mean Maria-the-cutest-thing-on-the-Western-Military-Academy-Ross?" Phil raised his eyebrow at the boy. "I dated her for eight weeks. Why are you asking?"

"I heard the line before," the boy muttered. "And you dated her? I was more under the impression that she liked Sergeant Brosh…"

Phil sighed. "Yeah, that guy was the reason why she broke up with me," he shrugged. "Well, it is my curse. When I am flirting with Hawkeye, Roy is plotting my death. When I am flirting with the cute doctor up at Briggs, the Ice Queen looks like she wants to kill me. Honestly, my life isn't easy, people. Whatever I do, it is always a really big mistake!"

"You flirted with Hawkeye?" Zampano chuckled. "I hate to break you the news up everyone in the whole military knows that she is Mustang's unofficial wife. Honestly, she gets away with nearly everything. She was seen yelling at him. She was seen glaring at him…"

"There was a time Roy wanted to marry her," Phil shrugged, "but when he broke up with her, I decided that I could try it. I mean, everybody knows that Roy tends to make stupid decisions when he is hurting … and I thought…"

"She is the only one for him," Lan Fan said with a hard edge in her voice. "Just a blind man cannot see how much he cares for her … and just a complete and utter fool would not understand why she is still at his side. They are one, in some crazy way I cannot understand."

"You were listening?" Hohenheim asked, slightly surprised. "I never thought that would interest you, young lady…"

She shrugged. "Out of my uniform, I am nothing but a normal girl," she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "And I would lie when I would say that I never thought about the idea of love and romance even though it will never be my fate."

* * *

"It's really nice that you follow me, Riza," Roy said as they moved towards the place where he had killed Lust and where she had lost her collected demeanour. He had apologised for his behaviour later in the hospital and he had admitted that he had been that angry because he had been mad at himself that he was still so important to her that she would give up her life. But that had been before he had known that Laila was her daughter.

She shrugged. "Loyalty is the curse of my family," she said. "And usually we have a really good reason to follow someone in our demise."

He looked at her, over his shoulder. "Why are you still walking behind me? We are equals, Rize."

She sighed deeply. "How can I watch your back when I am on your side?" she asked.

"My right side is unprotected," he said while he looked at Jade for a second who walked on his left side while she looked around.

"The promise was back against back and not side by side," Riza said but a hint of a smile had found its way into her voice. "And we shouldn't discuss this topic now or here."

Jade pouted while she braided her hair to improve her already perfect hairdo. "It's always the same with the two of you," she complained. "As soon as the conversation starts to get really, really interesting, you change the topic. Sometimes I really start to believe that you don't want to inform your _poor, innocent_ cousin about the news in your life, Roy! Wait until mom hears of this."

"You are neither poor nor innocent," he said.

Riza could see that Jade wanted to throw back a comment at him but then the blond sniper decided that it would be better to hurry up since they could hear sounds of a fight.

Jade's eyes widened as she heard her brother's voice as they came closer and for a second, Roy wondered what she would do if they wouldn't make it in time. He had seen her broken after heavy injuries on Phil's behalf and maybe, maybe his death would be the last thing needed to kill her eventually. She wasn't as stable as he wanted her to be. He knew of her nightmares, of her fears and of her thirst to take revenge for her best friends' death. If the situation wouldn't be that critical, he would have ordered her to stay with Heymans and Kain at the station of Central Radio. But this situation required the best players in his team … and sadly, Jade was on of his best allies in every kind of situation because she was colder than ice as long as no one touched her or her own friends. Breeze Soul was too important – and he had promised her mother that he would keep an eye on his most favourite cousin.

* * *

Edward hated the feeling of being powerless against the strange, pale creatures. He hated that he was back-to-back with Breeze Heart since he could hear how hard the older man was working to give them a better chance. At the same time, Edward could hear that the automail was working on its limit. Of course, Phil had allowed himself four months to get used to the foreign feeling and so he had to put more effort in the control of his new hand than Edward had to use for his limbs.

And when rings of flames appeared and the strange creatures burnt to ashes, Edward turned around to check on Phil who looked slightly amused and really relieved as a panicked voice shattered the strange and depressing silence.

"PHIL!" Jade yelled.

For a second, time froze and everyone turned around. Scar stared at the three newcomers, asking himself why the dark-haired woman was so terrified. Edward was – probably for the first time – happy to see his favourite commander somewhere. Zampano stared at Jade and came to the conclusion that she was really something nice to look at. Jerso sighed as he saw the pure anger in Breeze Heart's face as the young man spotted the woman.

"ROY!" the air alchemist yelled. "What the hell is Jade doing down here? Which part of _Do your best to keep my older sister safe_ didn't you understand, you complete and utter moron?"

"Heart, you are yelling at a higher ranking officer," Roy said amused.

"I don't care, seeing that said higher ranking officer is endangering the life of my sister!"

"Insubordination can get you in trouble, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang." The voice was calm and slightly amused. Everyone turned around, just to see that Brigadier General Llewellyn was among them now – and that the man looked like he had just came back from a walk.

"Llewellyn?" Phil asked, completely shocked.

"Hey, Mustang – who is that guy?" Edward asked.

"My uncle," Riza shrugged while she frowned at him. "Shouldn't you stay with Olivier?"

He rubbed his neck. "We split up to be more effective," he said but he sounded unhappy about the current arrangement. "I mean, I have worked without her before … but I still feel like I am missing an arm or something. It feels strange not to know how her situation is."

"And how did you get here?" Roy asked, at least as confused as Edward.

"There are a nice staircase and a corridor that led me right here," the blond man shrugged. "And how could I leave my only niece behind and save just my own neck?"

Envy chose exactly that minute for his appearance – and he made a very bad mistake. He bragged with the fact that he was the one who had killed five people out of the Glorious Seven. To say it carefully: neither Riza nor Roy took this news well.

"…I believe killing Helena Hamilton was the funniest thing I did in a while – nearly as good as starting the Civil War!" the homunculus laughed. "I had to kill her because she got behind the big plan. The stupid woman was trying to escape … and when I tracked her down in that alley, I used her husband's face to kill her! This face … this utter and complete shock … I never saw such a beautiful picture of betrayal in a single woman's face!" Envy cried out in glee. "And when her oh so loving husband appeared, I shot him from behind. And that silly man crawled over to her to hold her while they both died! They were so foolish! A couple of two morons!"

Jade was the first to react even though her scream consisted of no known language. Her mind focused on a single memory while the rest faded away. Once more, she watched how Lynn boarded the train along with her husband and her children. Once more, she heard her best friend's laughing voice. Once more she remembered that Lynn had had so much to live for when she had been killed – and once more, she reminded herself that she had sworn to take revenge for her fallen best friend … for the woman who had been her _sister_ in everything but blood. Her face was white in fury and everyone around her stepped back as her left, gloved hand touched the floor and Envy saw himself confronted with a first attack – but he was too much of a fool to see that his situation was probably not so brilliant. He committed the next mistake with another grin as Jade collapsed next to her brother, nearly crying in anger.

"But even though killing Silver Star was _amusing_, killing Lightening Star was even more _exiting_," Envy went on. "The bitch nearly got me, you must know. I guess that was the first time in a long time that I was confronted with the idea that I could lose. Her lightening attacks … they were mean. They actually hurt!" he shook his head. "She even attacked me when I looked like her own husband. For this coldness, I nearly let her live. But when I used her cousin's face, she dropped her hands. She gave up. The rest was so freaking easy…"

Riza's knuckles became white as she kept her eyes trained on this low creature in front of her.

"I have to admit, killing the Hawkeye-girls became an addiction to me the day I shot Serena from behind. She thought I was her boyfriend, so she didn't even turn around … oh yes, I need to tell that foolish captain she loved of her demise…"

Bendix sighed. "Let me get this straight from the beginning," he said. "Firstly: you won't try to kill Riza if you don't want to see my fury. And secondly: I am sure that Buccaneer would gladly kill you because you are nothing more than a spineless piece of scum that doesn't even deserve the fact that I am speaking with it."

"You human … human scum!" Envy yelled. "You think that you are better than me?"

"We all are better than you," Edward said with a little shrug. "I mean … hello? Did you ever look into a mirror? You are ugly, Envy, and no one actually knows what your gender is. Maybe you should try to find an own identity and stop stealing other people's identity to kill beloved ones."

Jade who had wiped away the little tear she had cried out of anguish got up and the pure and holy hatred in her face would have been enough to send a grownup man into hiding under his bed. "You said … _Envy_ … that Kay's lightening could hurt you," she said slowly. "Well … you may think that this skill died with her … seeing that she was the only one who had ever the nerve to perform something like that." She smirked smugly. "You are dead wrong, you know? Kay's alchemy didn't go down with her. The Lightening Alchemy isn't dead yet."

"We destroyed all her manuscripts as she ran off to Aerugo," the homunculus said but his comment met disbelieving gazes and loud laughter.

"I am sorry for destroying your self-image, Envy," Edward started, "but could you please care to explain me why in hell's name you think that this little trick of your gang could prevent people from learning things about Lightening Alchemy?"

"That is really arrogant of you," Riza agreed.

"And it shows that you didn't check who you are going on against," Roy added. "Kay was not as stupid as you may think, scum. She left a coded manuscript behind that features her whole theory including some other nice tricks that will hurt you in some seconds."

"Not even Father could decode Lightening Star's manuscript!" the homunculus yelled.

"I guess that shows that this ugly, bearded creature has no clue at all," Bendix shrugged.

Jade snorted. "Honestly, the code wasn't that easy, I admit that, but for someone who actually knew how Kay used to think … I believe it took me eight days to figure everything out," she said. "And if your daddy is the pale person I saw in headquarters last night when I was leaving, I am not so surprised if you would tell me that he looks down on us humans because we are weak. And I guess that this was his problem. He underestimated her skill."

The following three minutes were a bloodbath.  
Envy could escape Jade's and Phil's attempt to suffocate him but the homunculus couldn't escape the bullets and the flames … or the other physical attacks. But the last blow was delivered by Edward. When Envy was nothing but a little worm, Edward looked down at him. "You see, Envy," he started. "Despite our anger and all the hatred we feel towards you, we are still in control of our feelings. We know our limits … and we don't break ourselves to get a better revenge. We stayed in our boundaries … and you still lost because we worked together … and you have to admit that we are really strong that way, stronger than you will ever be."

Jade frowned down at the sad, little creature. "You know, Envy," she said. "For something that ugly, you have really a high opinion on yourself. And sorry, but you aren't that cool. A creature that takes pleasure in killing will never be cool or awesome, sorry."

* * *

Captain Hakon Buccaneer was dying and he knew it.

His strength was leaving him but he was quite proud that he had been able to hit Bradley. He looked up and the blue heaven had – despite the smog of the big city – nearly the same colour like Serena's eyes. A small smile appeared on his lips. "I kept you waiting long enough, my little bird," he said as he raised his remaining hand for a last salute and allowed his eyes to fall close.

The soldiers around him who had been able to hear his last words lowered their heads.

"The Major General won't be happy," one of them said, "but he didn't surrender."

Lan Fan who was watching Ling who was preparing to fight looked at the calm face of a man who had obviously lost his one true love and still kept fighting to the end. She walked over and bowed in front of the dead body to pay him her respect. "Farewell, Captain," she whispered.

* * *

Edward groaned as he hit the floor. "Ouch," he muttered.

"I couldn't agree more," a familiar voice said and his Teacher appeared. "Honestly, what is going on here – and where are we?" Izumi got up and walked over to him. "And why are we even here? I just remember the feeling … it was like passing the Gate once again…"

"We are the Human Sacrifices," Edward said as he looked at her. "That's why we are here."

He looked around and as he spotted Alphonse, he ran towards his brother – just to notice that the armour was maybe there but that the soul was still away.

And for the first time in a long while, Edward thought about the possibility that – maybe – they would lose this time around. And he regretted that he had Winry never told that he –  
Father's appearance distracted him from this thought.

* * *

Roy was frozen.

The situation was so damn wrong. Riza was bleeding to death, Edward had disappeared, Scar couldn't move, Phil and Jade were captured the same way he was and Bendix was held back too. He wanted to do something but he was helpless … and he absolutely hated it.

His gaze flickered over Jade's hands but he could ask her to do something he saw that her gloves were torn apart. A quick look at Phil's hands told him that Breeze Heart wasn't in a better state. It looked really bad for them but as long as Riza was alive, the hope wasn't lost yet.

She looked at him and searched in his face for a sign of fear or desperation. She found nothing and came to the conclusion that he was still searching for a way out – and she really hoped that he would find something since she had promised to survive and she always held her promises.

She wasn't afraid of death because it was always the end. She was just worried for her daughter … before she remembered that Roy had promised her that he would take care of Laila if something should happen to her. Well, dying was no option yet. She kept her thoughts together and focused on the strong and angry expression on Roy's face. He looked so wonderful angry, like a young god. She nearly smiled. Yes, he wouldn't let her down … and he wouldn't perform the stupid transmutation either. He was too strong for something like that.

Phil sighed deeply as he moved his hands. It was hard because he was held down by two men but after a little while he could connect his hands once again. "You know," he said suddenly and his voice shattered the silence, "that I have an automail-hand, right? And right now I am very happy that I talked my mechanic into drawing my arrays right into the metal…"

Riza suddenly felt new hope as she saw how Phil's capturer fainted, due to the lack of oxygen. It was right then the little girl who had stayed with Zampano appeared and the insane doctor disappeared. The next steps passed in a flash. Phil broke free, took his gun and shot the men who had held Jade down. Breeze Soul discarded her old, torn gloves and took a new pair from her pocket before she drained the air from Roy's capturer who fainted quickly, allowing Roy to get up. He crossed the room, burning whoever dared to stop him and pulled Riza into a warm embrace, begging her to stay with him.  
Meanwhile, Scar and Bendix wrestled down their enemies and returned to their respective fights while Mei didn't take the stone because she came to the conclusion that the life of the blond woman was probably more important than this.

Suddenly, Riza felt how she could breath properly again and as she slowly opened her eyes, she felt how Roy kissed her. As he finally pulled back, she smiled at him. "You got the signal," she said and couldn't help but feeling a tinge of pride.

He gently caressed her hair. "Well, we go back a few years," he said. "And I knew your attitude towards Human Transmutation all along, so I was pretty sure that you would murder me if I would do it … since I am pretty sure that this would qualify as straying from the path." He kissed her again before he just held her as he looked at Mei. "Thank you so much," he said.

* * *

Olivier was running through headquarters, all alone and without any support since she had left her brother behind after they had defeated Sloth side by side. Even though he had helped her, Alex didn't qualify as her favourite brother.

She stopped as she heard voices and hid behind a pillar.

"…I told you that I knew the voice, Brosh!" a woman with short, black hair said as she passed the major general. "And can you really imagine that Mustang would make something like that out of boredom? No! There has to be more to it than we know."

"Lieutenant Ross," the man started. "Listen, I know that you are a supporter of Mustang but out there … that is war. You can't walk through a battlefield without getting hurt!"

She sighed deeply. "Right," she said. "You may know that I am a supporter … but the others won't know. I will just tell them that I was sent from high command to negotiate with the people inside the building. And why should anyone doubt me?"

* * *

A loud noise distracted Izumi and Edward from Alphonse and they turned around, just to see that Roy had decided to join them. Izumi recognised her nephew and walked over to help him up. "What happened, Roy?" she asked while she decided to yell at him another time.

"Aunty Iz?" he asked. "Is that you? I … I can't see you. Where is the light?"

"Roy , here is light," she said as she steadied him with her arm around his shoulders.

"No, I would see something if here were any light," he said. "I can't see anything. I can't even see you, Izumi. What's going on here?"

She pushed back the strands of black hair that hid his eyes and her worst fear was confirmed: he was blind. She sighed deeply. "What is the last thing you can remember?" she asked.

"There was a bright, white room … with a big black door," he muttered. "The symbol on the door was identical with the one on Ri– with the essence of Flame Alchemy…"

"Oh, so it took your eyes," the creature known as Father said. "I have to admit, I like that. Out of all remaining state alchemist's capabilities, your skill was the most dangerous, Mr Mustang. But without your eyes, how will you use your power?"

"I just don't get why it took his eyes," Izumi said. "I can understand why I lost my organs and why Ed lost his leg … but why did it take Roy's eyes?"

"I would say because there was someone he wants more than anything else," Pride threw in as he appeared. "Someone he couldn't let go … someone who was foolish enough to follow him until now…" he shrugged. "And since Truth couldn't take Miss Hawkeye because she had nothing to do with the transmutation, it took his eyes because they used to allow him to stare at her…"

"Ridiculous," Izumi hissed. "There would have been other ways to punish him. Why his eyes?"

"Did he never tell you that this woman was the reason why he stayed alive all these years?" Father asked. "Honestly, Mrs Curtis, you disappoint me. I expected you to understand, seeing that you are a really skilled alchemist … you are the most rational out of my sacrifices…"

* * *

Jade barely dodged Bradley's first attack. He cut off some strands of her dark hair but instead of staying on the floor, she got up again and made place for Scar to launch a first strike from the strange bunch of allies.

Still, Phil turned around when he heard his sister's scream. This was a clear sign that something was wrong – really, really wrong to be exact. Jade never screamed during a fight as long as she wasn't hurt … and if she was hurt, it meant that someone had injured his sister. He turned around and saw her on the floor, holding her ankle and bleeding from her upper arm. It didn't seem to be an injury with the potential to kill her but he was still worried about her because after all he had been through in the last months, he wasn't sure if he could deal with her death.

In the past decade, their once so strong and stable relationship had suffered and while Jade waited patiently for him to open up once more, he wondered when she would figure out why he had grown cold and strangely distanced since both of them had been thirteen.

Still, he still thought about he past and held onto it – especially right now that he knelt on the ground next to her and helped her back up to her feet even though one of them was broken. They were masters at stealing a few seconds for themselves even when everything seemed to blow up around them. In a way, he could hear the words she would never say even now.

_Why, Phil? Why did you have to leave me behind? Why did you stop to care about me? I thought … I thought you really cared about me … so … why did you say goodbye?_

A part of him wanted to tell her that his goodbyes meant nothing at all but at the same time, he wasn't sure if she actually would listen to him. But his pride took the control over his tongue once more and so he merely huffed as he let go of her. "Try to be more careful, Jadelina," he said. "And try not to bleed to death, alright? We kinda need you after all."

Even Bradley frowned slightly at these harsh words and this gave Bendix the chance to shot twice. "You should be nicer to your sister, Mustang," the Fuhrer ordered. "She's the only one you have after all, right? It would hurt you to lose her."

Phil's stomach churned for a moment before he considered telling Bradley that he had lost 'his sister' long ago and that this Jade was merely a shadow of the person she had been once. He remembered how she had told him that she _needed_ him. This wasn't like the Jade he had known before. This old Jade had never needed anything or anyone. But now she stood there, barely able to stand on her broken foot and with this damned expression on her face … that expression that told everyone that she had stopped to believe in herself … that she felt like the villain in this play that was very much the reality. But it was too late for Phil to apologise to his elder sister. Too many bridges had been burned along their way to more strength and more power – the power they needed so desperately to stay alive.

A part of him wanted to stop the time one last time so that he could hug her, really hug her one last time before they would move into their all or nothing fight against the remaining homunculi because deep down he knew that he needed her like the air he breathed – not that it was really new to him but still. A strand of black hair obscured his sight for a second before he brushed it away. Black, the colour of his hair embodied to the day the guilt he felt for everything that happened to her along the years.

"I am sorry," she said softly as she bit her lower him. She had it easy. She could ask for forgiveness because she was usually considered the heroine while her counterpart usually got the part of the villain. Still, even though it wasn't smart, Phil could do nothing but holding onto the past.

Phil looked at Bendix who looked like he was in pain. "How bad is it?" he asked.

The blond man sighed deeply. "Some broken rips and the arm is broken too," he muttered.

Jade cursed and her brother looked at her. "I never knew that you know such expressions," he said with a little frown. "Wait until mom hears from this!"

"I like women who can state their opinions properly," Jerso said.

Riza who was held by Darius who had appeared out of nowhere grabbed her gun and shot trice before she fainted, due to the immense loss of blood.

"Rize!" Jade screamed before she was suddenly face to face with a blade.

"No!" her brother screamed and jumped forward but he wasn't the one to deflect the blade that had nearly taken the woman's life. It was Bendix who had used his hand to push it out of the way for her – and this wouldn't make it life any easier.


	31. Promised Day III

**Promised Day III**

* * *

Laila collapsed and with her remaining strength, she grabbed Victoria and Nick to hold them in a protective embrace. She didn't know what was going on but fear ran through her veins, paralysing her. She passed out, maybe out of fear, maybe for another reason.

Gracia tumbled, holding Elicia close to herself and fell onto the couch while Maes landed on the floor, still holding her hand like he had done it when they had entered the room.

* * *

Olivier had reunited with her stupid brother and together with him and the housewife's man. It was not the company she actually wanted but as long as she couldn't be with her own husband or her best friend, she would have to waste her time by being with Alex.

"He will be fine, sister," Alex said as if he knew how worried she was behind her mask of general dislike and disinterest for everyone.

She glared at him. "Of course he will be fine," she said annoyed. "We are talking about Ben after all … and that guy is always coming back even though people say he wouldn't make it."

She was a little bit nervous as she walked down the stairs – and a little bit sad since Buccaneer had died. On the one hand, she would miss him since he had been one of the best soldiers she had ever met but on the other hand, she knew that he would see Serena again.

Finally they came around a corner and ran straight into a little group of people. Riza looked weak and terrible beaten while Bendix supported her. He didn't look that great but he looked much better than his niece. He got away with looking a little bit bruised yet content with his own performance. Jade who was next to him hadn't been as happy – she had a broken foot and an angry red gash ran across her forehead. Her twin looked better but he lacked still a hand.

"It's always nice to see you, Olivier," Bendix said with a little smirk as he bowed. "Let me guess: you broke your arm too? Honestly, why have you always to copy my injuries?"

"Well, Ben, you know how much I adore your style and when I fought against that _ugly_ _thing_ and it offered me to break my arm and some rips, I just couldn't resist," she rolled her eyes. "You have no idea how _fashionable_ broken bones are nowadays … it's really amazing!"

He chuckled. "I would walk over and hug you before I would scold your for being to reckless but I think that I would hurt myself," he sighed, seemingly disappointed.

Riza suppressed the urge to punch the both of them to punish them for their teasing as she saw Roy , blind and helpless. He looked worse than Laila after a particularly scaring nightmare but even though he was defeated, he still wanted to fight – and when he asked her for her help, she had to follow him. She knew that her purpose was small but even though she had barely the strength to hold a gun, she had still her infamous sight. And she would borrow him her eyes.

"Are you insane?" Bendix asked as Riza got carefully back to her feet.

"No," she said and was a little bit angry that she sounded like a little child, disobeying her parents despite knowing it better. And probably she knew it better … but she would never care because … "I know exactly what I am doing, Ben."

Olivier raised her head to look in the younger woman's eyes. "Let her be, Ben," she said as she leaned herself against her best friend. "Our fight is over … we reached our goal…"

"Thank you, Olivier," Riza said as she looked back at her commanding officer. "C'mon, Roy , let's go or Edward will defeat that Father-creature without your help."

"Yes," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "Thank you for being that loyal, Riza," he whispered before he turned to face Jade and Phil who stood there like frozen, waiting for a command. "You will stay behind," he ordered. "I made a promise once and I intend to hold it."

Jade with her bruised face nodded while she wrapped her arm around her brother. "Our thoughts will be with you," she said, hiding her face underneath her hand as he left.

* * *

For Lan Fan, her anger was too much. This stupid country had taken away so much from her. Her grandfather was dead, her prince was possessed by some homunculus and the so-called leader of this country found that it was a good hobby to attack innocent girls and cut of their arms. At least, the guy was dead … after killing her beloved grandfather.

She joined the battle and her anger was sufficient to break the connection between Greed and her master. The homunculus had told her to do this and in her anger, she had complied. Now the stupid guy was dead, killed by his own Father and that Edward-person was drawing some array to save his brother. Lan Fan allowed herself to relax a little bit since the only person who had really an interest in killing Ling was Mei and the girl was crying.

Ling turned to look at her. "You did a great job, Lan Fan," he told her. "I am really proud to call you my bodyguard." He wrapped his arm around her for a second before he let it drop again.

She remained stiff and her smile was thin as she turned around to look at him to hand over the Philosopher's Stone. "Young Master, as you probably already know: I have successfully obtained the source of immortality," she said quietly. "I hope that makes up for my earlier failures."

He looked down at her small and slightly terrified form before he wrapped his arms around her to kiss her forehead. "You had nothing to make up for," he said after he pulled back. "You did a great job here in this dangerous and strange country, Lan Fan. I will buy you dinner tonight."

Her cheeks were crimson half a second later. "I can't accept this offer," she muttered.

Ling had been too close to Greed for a too long time and he just couldn't accept that answer. He had heard it too often over the past few years … and he wanted to hear just one time that she cared for him as deeply as he cared for her. So he did the most foolish and insane thing he had ever done as he pulled her close to his chest to kiss her.

Some metres away, Roy tilted his head. "Why is everyone cheering?" he asked.

"That stupid Xingese boy mustered up the courage to kiss his girl," Izumi said while she turned to look at him. "How are you doing, Roy?" she asked. Usually she would have yelled at him for all his foolishness but after a short look at the woman on his side he came to the conclusion that it was probably a good idea to delay the yelling even further. (She didn't know that she would never yell at him back then.)

He shrugged. "Even though I am blind now, I will still make it to the top," he said. "I just hope that Riza won't let me down after all … and that she doesn't assume that I asked the bastard at the gate to take my eyes to get out of paperwork…"

"Even you wouldn't be that much of an idiot," Riza said with a shrug. "And isn't young love sweet? They remembered me of Lynn and Martin all along…"

"Why does he get all the support just for one little kiss?" Roy pouted. "Why is no one cheering me on? I mean … I returned to the battle in a really bad state…"

Izumi smacked the back of his head. "Because you don't kiss your girl, you fool!" she said. "You should know by now that the people love leaders with a human side, Mustang!"

"I really hope that you will forgive me later, Riza," Roy said before he someone got a hold on her shoulders before he pulled her towards him to kiss her.

Izumi sighed deeply before she muttered something about Roy being a drama queen before she walked over to yell at Jade and Phil who had decided to join the party.

Since most people were occupied with cheering on Ling and Roy, it took some seconds until Mei noticed the return of her Alphonse-sama.

"Honestly, I am the guy who just rescued his little brother and when I come back, everyone is too occupied to even notice!" Edward shouted, annoyed as usual. "Hello, what the hell is that interesting that no one is interested in me? I am the hero of the people after all!"

A soldier threw him a glare. "Mustang kissing Hawkeye in front of everyone is far more entertaining, major," he said. "And the Xingese boy is kissing his girl too."

"Wait – Ling is kissing Lan Fan?" Alphonse asked, totally confused. "I didn't even know that he has these feelings for her … where did this world come to?"

"Ling had feelings for her all along," Edward said with a shrug. "He was just scared to tell her."

"Like you are scared to tell Winry that you like her?" Alphonse chuckled.

* * *

Laila sneaked into the hospital and went to search for her mommy. She knew that she wasn't allowed to leave the house but she had to know how her mother was. So she just hoped that no one would see her and that she could get to her mother without any troubles.

She found a door that looked quite promising since her mother's best friend, Aunty Rebecca, stood in front of it with a little frown on her face. Laila waited until Rebecca left her post for a minute to get new coffee and sneaked into the room. As soon as she was there, she knew that she was wrong. There was a male person in the room but this male person wasn't Roy. And the female person wasn't mommy either.

"Hey, little girl," the male teenager said. "Are you lost? Who are you searching?"

"I am searching my mommy," Laila said and looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Ling Yao, twelfth prince of Xing," he said with a shrug. "And she is my girlfriend, Lan Fan."

"I never said that I would be your girlfriend, You- Ling," the girl muttered.

"I will kiss you as long as you want to be my girlfriend," he smirked.

"I am Laila, Laila Hawkeye," the girl politely said.

"Related to Riza Hawkeye?" Lan Fan asked.

"My mommy."

"Well, I somehow imagined her daughter with darker hair…" Ling said. "I mean … black hair is really stubborn and Mustang's daughter should have dark hair…"

Laila's teeth gritted. "I am not Roy Mustang's daughter!" she hissed. "Hell, could you people please stop to assume that rubbish? I mean … hello? Do I look like him? No!"

She didn't say, however, how much she wished the exact opposite.

* * *

Half an hour later, Riza wasn't as surprised as she probably should have been when her daughter walked into the room. "I believe I told you that you should stay at Gracia's place," the injured woman said as she carefully hugged her daughter, "but I am always happy to see my daughter."

Roy turned his head into their direction. "Hello, Laila," he said as he carefully got up to walk over to Riza's bed to take part in the group hug. "I hope that you weren't too scared."

She shook her head. "Just when I felt so weak, then I was afraid," she admitted while she wrapped her little arms around him. "And Victoria snores, so I couldn't sleep properly."

Riza chuckled before she lay down and the others followed their example. They fell asleep all cuddled up to each other and for a moment, they knew that they were safe and that no insane and sadistic homunculus was lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike against them.

When Maria Ross came to check on them, half an hour later, she smiled at this peaceful sight.

* * *

Charlotte Llewellyn, Lawrence Miles and Leroy Grumman reached Central the next day and while Leroy made his way to his granddaughter, Charlotte and Miles drove to Olivier's house. It was their best guess to find Bendix and Olivier who shared an immense hatred towards hospitals and as long as they wouldn't be knocked out, they would never go into a hospital. It was Miles' first time in the Armstrong-mansion but since he came with the godmother of the owner, it was no problem to get in.

The golden-haired Brigadier General sat on the couch and seemed to be a little bit annoyed since his right arm was in a sling. "Good morning, mama," he said with a smile. "I would get up to hug you but Liv and I decided to try a new kind of partner look and break our arms at the same time."

His mother shook her head as she kissed his forehead. "Honestly, Benny," she said, "you and your cousin are giving me more grey hairs than your father, Riza and Laila together."

"That's because they are Grummans," the young man smirked. "They are way too rational."

Olivier smiled as she came back into the room and wrapped her good arm around Miles.

"I missed you, darling," he stated before he kissed her forehead.

"I missed you too but Benny made sure that no man came too close to me," she chuckled before she grabbed his collar to kiss him properly.

"I am really proud of the both of you," Charlotte said while she accepted the cup of tea a maid handed her. "You did a really good job in this sinful town."

"Thank you, Jewel," Olivier smiled as she held Miles' hand like he could vanish now and here.

"Well, I guess I need to thank you," the old lady smirked. "Since this adorable Mustang-person declined to become Fuhrer yet, Leroy will take over the position … and I fear that there goes the good time when I had no meetings with boring representatives from other countries…"

"As the former First Daughter you will be a great First Lady," her goddaughter stated. "And did you ask Uncle Leroy to promote us as soon as our names are clear? I mean … we fought for this country and I would hate it to be killed as a traitor…"

"If you had followed the official politics of our country you would know that the death penalty is gone since 1910," the older woman sighed. "And even if it wouldn't be gone yet, I would make a new law … honestly, Bradley had no idea that I already passed all the important laws years ago … he never paid any attention to the parliament…"

* * *

Leroy grinned widely as he entered his granddaughter's hospital room. "I saw the pictures in the newspaper!" he grinned. "You finally got together! I am so proud of you!"

Riza looked tiredly at him. "Congratulations to your new post," she muttered. "I heard it in the radio, grandfather. I guess that Gran is not so happy about it all, right?"

"Wait until she sees the ring I bought for her," he grinned. "I am asking her to marry me today."

"Grandfather, I really hate to break you the news but you are married with her since decades," Riza sighed. "It is probably a little bit too late to ask her if she wants to marry you."

"I know that I am married with the Queen of Awesomeness since many years," the old man said with a childish pout, "but I have to say that I regretted that we never a big wedding. We just got married that fast because the stupid freaks from the old high command were trying to force her to marry Bradley, that scum, and the best way out was marrying her quickly." He shrugged. "And since I am the Fuhrer now, I can allow myself to throw a big party to marry my wife again! Hell, if I wanted to, I could marry her each year again … but I guess that could get me into trouble."


	32. Happiness

**Happiness**

* * *

Leroy saw in his wife's eyes that something was bothering her, so he walked other to her. It had been three days since he had become Fuhrer and it was the first time in as many days that they were absolutely alone without any guards around them, trying to make sure that they were fine. He sat down next to her and kissed her forehead. "What is bothering you, love?" he asked while he pulled her close to himself to rub her stiff back to comfort her a little bit.

She sighed deeply. "I am annoyed," she said. "This office … it looks still like when Bradley was the big boss. It's not like I remembered it from before, honey…" She looked up at him before she got back to her feet and walked over to the oldest book shelve. She smiled a little bit as it moved back without any trouble to reveal a secret passage. "Hah!" she laughed out. "I am so sure that the bastard never knew that here are so many secret passages in this building," she added as she closed the secret door again. "My father used to take this one when he wanted to see mother."

He laughed as he walked towards her to hug her. "Did you decide your future carrier?" he asked.

She nodded. "I will stay in the military," she said. "I know that we used to say that I would retire as soon as you make it to the big chair but … the things have changed, I guess. As long as you don't throw me out, I will stay at your side, Leroy. And if you don't mind, I will take the office down the hallway … so I can keep an eye on you."

His arms were on her waist as he grinned at her. "And does that mean that the great Charlotte Llewellyn will finally become a typical wife?" he asked as he tilted his head. "I mean you did a great job until now but if you would finally start to wear my name…"

She pouted at him before she leaned back. "You know exactly that I will never wear your name," she said. "It would be confusing for so many people, Leroy. I just can't."

He laughed at her childish pout but when he heard soft music from another office, he started to dance with her and for a second, he remembered the day when he had first realised that there would always be one woman for him. Alright, he had proposed to her for the first time when he had been kids and she had turned him down by telling him that she didn't intend to marry him and that she didn't want to be the mother of his children but that she wanted to stay his best friend.

Maria Ross who should have brought the Fuhrer new files stopped in the doorway and a little smile appeared on her lips as she saw the head of state and his wife dancing in the office with the loving gaze just to people who were really meant for each other possessed.

* * *

Riza glared at the nurse as she sat up in her bed. "Did you really just tell me that you didn't allow my daughter to enter the room?" she hissed. "Have you any idea how much she went through? You will leave now to get her … and if something like that will happen again, I will personally make sure that you will be discharged!"

"Miss Hawkeye, we already allowed that you can share a room with Major General Mustang but I can't allow that a child is running around in this room while the general is recovering!" the nurse said and Riza wondered if this woman did honestly believe herself.

Roy slowly opened his eyes. "What is going on?" he asked with a frown. "Didn't you say that Laila would come back today, Riza? It's her birthday after all and she should be here."

"I just heard from this nice young woman that the hospital fears that her presence could have a negative influence on your recovery," Riza said with a little huff. "Well, I believe that means that I have to call grandmother or someone else to abuse her or his powers…"

He smiled into her direction. "I am sure, Miss, that the presence of a child could help me to get back to my usual, friendlier self," he said amused. "And I would like to … eh … _see_ Laila again."

The very same second, three women who had always done whatever they had wanted to barged in the room. Izumi grinned smugly, Jade smiled a little bit and Olivier frowned at the nurse. Behind them, with an incredibly wide grin on her face was Laila who carried apple pie while the three women carried presents and other stuff.

"My, my," Jade chuckled as she sat down on the only chair in the room before she turned her full attention back to Roy. "You really are handsome today, Roy - Roy, did you look in the mirror?"

He tried to glare at her but it was hopeless because his eyes lacked all the impression. "No, Jade," he muttered, "but at least I can still walk without any pain. I guess that makes me the winner."

"What did I tell you about arguing like children?" Riza scolded while Laila took place on her lap.

"That we should stop it, but honestly, Riza, how can you resist the chance to make fun of him?" Jade asked with the classical Mustang-smirk.

"Maybe he isn't always that useless as he is now," Izumi shrugged. "The child proves that he isn't useless in the bedroom…"

Laila looked confused at her.

"Be happy that Riza isn't allowed to get up," Roy said. "She vowed that she would punch the next person to assume this crap. And be extra-happy that I can't see you right now, dearest aunt."

"I am happy," Izumi chuckled. "Well, we came to celebrate Laila's birthday and since Sig is still in treatment because of his shoulder, we decided that we could make a little party. Jade alerted some others on our way and I am pretty sure that Alphonse said that he would come."

"Edward isn't invited since he always annoys Laila," Jade added with another grin. "And I guess that the Xingese-people will come too. I mean, it's the best cake I bake in a long time."

"And I called Ben on my way," Olivier added while she sat down on Riza's bed. "He will be here in some minutes. You know how much he would have loves parties with friends."

Izumi smiled genuinely at Laila before she took the little present she had bought earlier that day when Olivier had mentioned that it was the girl's birthday. "I didn't know what to get you, Laila, but maybe you will like it," she said as she handed the present over to the girl.

Laila who was a nice little girl smiled at her. "Thank you very much, Mrs Curtis," she said before she carefully unwrapped a beautifully illustrated book about the most beautiful buildings in the whole world. Laila's face was a perfect image of thoughtfulness as she looked at some of the pictures before she raised her head to look at Izumi. "Who told you?" she asked.

"Alphonse," the woman said. "Edward tried to talk me into buying you a shirt with the print: _I am a freak, so what?_ but Al told me that this would be my death."

"A wise decision to go for a book," Jade agreed as she took out her own present. "I didn't know what you exactly like, so I got some examples. You … eh … can keep all."

Her present was much bigger and fluffier. Laila opened it and saw some really pretty dresses in different colours, all in her size and each a little bit different from the others. The girl looked at the female state alchemist who had a soft smile on her lips. "They are wonderful," the little blonde said with a beaming smile.

Jade's shoulders relaxed and her own smile grew. "They are nothing special," she tried to lower the girl's enthusiasm because she was Jadelina Mustang and she had seen war and destruction, too much of it to feel something when seeing a nice present.

Olivier glared at her before the Ice Queen threw a little black box at the girl who caught it without any problems. On black velvet lay a little silver necklace with a silver snowflake that was decorated with little diamonds. Laila raised her head in confusion and Olivier grabbed into her own collar to show her a really similar necklace, just without the diamonds. "Ben gave it to me when I turned six," she said. "He always said that my attitude was too mature and too much of an adult … and too cold to be a usual child. So he nicknamed me Princess Snowflake."

Laila got up and walked over to hug the Ice Queen. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

Olivier looked down at her before she carefully raised her hand to caress the girl's head.

Riza coughed and handed her daughter the little present she had bought some weeks ago, before the stress had been too much for her to go shopping like she was a normal mother without any problems. Because she was far from being a normal mother since she had just a daughter and no husband. Many doors would always remain closed to her but she couldn't care less.

Her present for her daughter was a pair of silver earrings, not unlike her owns and the promise that she would go with Laila to get the girl's ears pierced as soon as she was out of the hospital. There had been some arguments between the two blondes in the past since Laila had wanted earrings since she had been five and Riza had always kept telling her that she was too young. (But she wasn't too young anymore. A girl that fearless and that strong was never too young for anything.)

Later on in her life, Laila would always wonder how her sixth birthday could have been that perfect despite the fact that most guests had been injured. Maybe it was the fact that everyone was happy to be alive. Maybe it was because everyone had his or her regrets but the wish to live as well. Maybe it was because the Xingese girls, Lan Fan and Mei, were getting along surprisingly well and braiding each other hairs in insane ways as it got later. Maybe it was because Edward showed up uninvited with a surprisingly tasteful present. Or maybe it was because Laila felt for the first time that she had a wonderful, big yet slightly insane family.

* * *

The man known as Scar sat in the dark of his room while he was listening to the voices in the room above him. It had to be the private study of Major General Armstrong because it couldn't be her bedroom because it was down the hall, in another wing of the building. He knew this because he had seen her walking there after the battle, calling out for a maid to call the doctor.

_"…I don't care what Mustang is saying!"_ Olivier's voice was sharp as usual. _"I will make sure that there will be a ball as soon as the rebuilding starts and I will be damned if I won't host it!"_

_"I can't let you have all the fun,"_ a male voice said amused. _"I mean, since I am officially the owner of our little house in Central now, I kinda have to host the freaking ball. And my dad is the one who got the big chair, Liv. I agree with you that Roy is being ridiculous when he says that there should be no ball to honour the fallen. I would say that he is just against it because he's blind."_

_"He won't be blind for long,"_ a deep yet female voice said calmly. _"I already made sure that Jean will come to Central soon. As a matter of fact, I am going back to the East to get him personally. I believe I will have to talk with his mother … but maybe … maybe the time is right now."_

And Scar remembered that voice. It had been the voice he had heard during his first day at Armstrong's manor. The voice of the old lady who had an attitude that could send adult men into hiding underneath their beds.


	33. Familiar Troubles IV

**Chapter 33: Familiar Troubles IV**

* * *

Jean Havoc was working in his parents' store as the little bell at the door rang and an old but still really beautiful woman entered. She wore the military issued coat Jean despised that much and underneath the coat she wore a classical field uniform even though she looked a little bit too old to be still on the battlefield. Her golden hair was up in a tight bun and her emerald eyes roamed over the whole room as she crossed to the counter where Jean sat.

The very same second, his mother left the store room and froze as she spotted the old lady.

"Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc," the golden-haired lady said calmly. "It has been a while but I am sure that you still remember me. My name is-"

"Lieutenant General Charlotte Riza Llewellyn, also known as the Golden Tigress of the West," his mother said as she closed the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Orders," the soldier said calmly as she looked at her.

"Madam," Jean started. "I am no longer part of the army."

She looked down at him and smiled a little bit as she took a sheet of paper from her pocket. She unfolded it and cleared her throat. "The Fuhrer of Amestris, Leroy Benedict Grumman, hereby revokes the honourable discharge of Second Lieutenant Jean Grumman Havoc," she read before she looked at the woman in the door. "Against your firm belief, Jeanne, we leave no one behind." She turned around to leave before she looked back over her shoulder. "And you, Jean, you are expected in Central City as soon as possible. Miss Catalina kept asking about you."

Jean's mother moved forward and hindered the old lady as Charlotte wanted to leave the room. "I am afraid but I won't allow this," she said. "You dragged so many innocent, good people into your crazy game. You sacrificed Eliza. You sacrificed Benny. And now you want to sacrifice my son? No, mother, I won't allow this. You will need a new plan to ensure your power this time!"

Charlotte barely smiled at her as she turned around to face her. "I can't deny that my plans requested some sacrifices over the past few years," she said, "but you won't tell your son to leave his team, his comrades behind, Jeanne. He is old enough to make his own decision. You used to be such a brilliant young woman and now you dedicate your whole life to hate me? You dare to hate me even though I gave you your life and everything else? Pathetic, Jeanne, you should know that I never intended that my plans have such an effect on others."

* * *

Laila sat in front of her mirror and stared at her reflection.

In her hand, she held a picture of Kay. Yes, she could see some traces of the woman who had given birth to her in her own face. The eyes, sharp and full of recklessness, were perfect copies of Kay's emerald orbs. Thinking about her other, her biological mother made Laila angry and sad at the same time. One the one hand, the girl could understand the decision to leave her behind even though it pained her greatly to think about it so rationally … but Aerugo was a really dangerous country and surely no place for a little child. But on the other hand, Amestris wasn't much safer.

Laila was torn between the sides for she saw all the arguments really clear.

Kay's main reason had been guilt. Guilt for dragging her innocent cousin into a war and watching her break down slowly. Of course, the red-head had whished nothing more than to make Riza's life whole again – even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.

Riza's main reason had been loyalty towards her family and her friends. Loyalty had made her join the army and loyalty would bring her to her untimely grave, sometimes in the future. But loyalty was also the reason why she had never even thought about abandoning Laila along the way to move on without any ballast from her eventful past.

The girl bit her lower lip.

Even though Kay had carried her for nine long months, Riza had been the one who had lead Laila through the darkness of the past six years. For Laila, heir of the Hawkeye-genius, it was obvious that Riza was more of a mother than Kay.

She got up and put the picture away. In the living room, Uncle Kain was feeding Black Hayate and looked up when Laila entered. "You look pretty today, princess," he said.

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Uncle Kain," she said. "How is mommy?"

"She was fine when I left but she has to stay in the hospital until the end of the week," he said. "I am sorry for the bad news, Laila."

Her smile became a little bit weaker. "It's not your fault anyway," she said. "And Roy?"

"Well, here we go," Kain said. "The colonel will be discharged today and Riza suggested that he could stay here where you can keep an eye on him until she is released to. It's just that the rest of his family has to deal with a strong emotional trauma due to some injuries…"

Laila beamed up at him. "So … I won't be alone?""

Kain shook his head. "No, but don't forget that he needs your help now," he said. "But you are a big girl and I am sure that you can deal with the situation."

She nodded and crossed to him to hug him. "I missed you."

He smiled down at her. "I missed you too, Little Hawk."

"But now you are back again!" she laughed.

"I really wonder how I could live all those months without the brightest smile in whole Amestris," he said as he got up. "Well, princess, I need to make sure that you won't have to be alone this evening. And I will stop by tomorrow again."

"Alright," she said before she tilted her head. "Will my piano lesson take place this afternoon?"

"Laila, your mother allowed you to go home under the condition that you will stay safe," he scolded. "Don't worry her that much."

"But she worried me! I was afraid that she might die during that mission!"

"The colonel would never allow her to die."

"Never?" she asked.

"Never."

Laila smiled as she let go of him and sat down on the couch. "You know, Uncle Kain, that I was really afraid," she said.

"I know, princess," he said. "Well, see you later."

He left and Black Hayate jumped onto her lap and she hugged the dog. "At least you, Black Hayate, at least you are uninjured."

The dog barked and fell asleep at her side. She waited in silence and didn't notice how she slowly drifted asleep. It had been a long week for her and she was tired.


	34. New lines

**New lines**

* * *

"…how did she feel when you saw her?" Roy asked as he slowly went upstairs.

Kain sighed deeply. "She tries to be strong for Hawkeye but she seems to be tired of it all."

Roy frowned a little bit. "Poor little girl," he stated. He pitied Laila because she had gone through hell during the past months and it was just natural that she was tired now.

"She is trying very hard to keep her act together but we all see that she is slowly losing her touch," the younger man said sadly. "All those years she was so mature and strong, she always was the strong pillar in everything Riza did … she had always someone she had to live for. But now, I guess we can say that Laila's youth is catching up with her."

"Shouldn't it be 'her age is catching up with her'?" Roy asked.

"Can we really speak of 'age' when the topic is a six-year-old girl?"

"I guess you are right," the blind man sighed while his fingers danced across the banisters.

"She needs someone who listens to her now," Kain said.

"I will listen to her," the colonel said with a little smile.

They found Laila asleep on the couch and Kain gently shook her because her position would most likely cause her a nice, little neck ache and no one who could still remember (and they were hard to forget) the Golden Days when she had gotten her first teeth would allow her to feel pain ever again because – to cut it short – a Laila Hawkeye in pain was a very dangerous and aggressive Laila Hawkeye – and even though she didn't have a gun (yet), her aim with the things surrounding her was really good – and it was not so comfortable when an edition of An Eternal Love: The Return which consisted of 1203 pages was connected with ones forehead.

She slowly opened her eyes and walked over to Roy to hug him tightly. She didn't cry but it was obvious that she was very upset. It was visible in her stiff shoulders.

Roy smiled sadly down at her. "Can't mistake that hug," he said as he held her close. "It's always nice to … eh … see you, Little Miss Sunshine."

"It's good to see that your hands are better," she said as she looked at the bandages around it. "So … you stay here now if I got everything correctly, yes?"

"Yeah…" he nodded as he sat down on the couch. "I hope we'll get along."

She rolled her eyes. "We usually got along in the past, so I don't worry about this problem now."

"So, princess, I need to get back to the hospital. Lieutenant Ross will come around later to check on you and to take the next watch."

"Miss Ross?" Laila tilted her head. "The nice woman with the short hair? I really liked her."

"You nearly scared her to death," Kain sighed.

"Just because I suddenly left Miss Lan Fan's room…" the girl pouted.

"Stop acting like you were an innocent little girl," the soldier chuckled. "We all know that you know to outsmart most of us. I would say you spent too much time with Edward as a toddler."

"The guy is stupid and has no sense for style," she said with another frown.

Roy was cheering. "Can I quote you on that when I see him the next time?" he asked.

"Of course," she said with an unimpressed shrug.

"Wonderful … finally someone who seconds me," he grinned.

"He destroyed her favourite doll as he tried to make it look 'cooler'," Kain said. "She nearly killed him for that … and the bruise on his forehead was visible for days…"

Roy chuckled as he gently stroked the girl's golden hair. "I will make sure that the world will never forget Major Edward Elric, the no-sense-for-style Fullmetal Alchemist," he said amused.

"Especially the no-sense-for-style-part shall never be forgotten," she agreed before she fell back asleep, still cuddled up to him and Hayate.

"Finally," Kain said. "She hasn't slept properly in a while."

"Can't say that I would blame her," Roy said. "The poor girl … she and some other people were the true victims in everything what happened."

"Now she will be back to business soon and maybe she can have a normal childhood now … well … as far as this is possible, regarding the fact that Riza is her mother…"

Roy grinned a little bit as he closed his eyes. "The best thing about the Hawkeye-girls is that they always go their own ways without caring about any rules," he said. "And it would be a shame if Laila would be the last of them … they are great allies after all…"

"I have an easy solution for you if you really don't want Laila to be the last of her kind," Kain said with a little smirk. "Marry Riza and get some pretty kinds."

* * *

Ling Yao, heir of the throne of Xing, sat in his hospital room as he stared at his sleeping girlfriend-slash-bodyguard. Lan Fan looked so peaceful whenever she finally fell asleep and he blamed himself for dragging her through this mess.

His mind wandered back to his homeland and he smiled as he remembered his little brother, Cai Yao. Cai were one of the youngest kids of the emperor and as such, he had no issues with the fight over the throne. He was still a child, barely six years old by now. Ling chuckled a little bit as he thought about his serious and smart little brother who had a real obsession with Amestrian literature and the culture of the western countries. And Ling scowled as he remembered how his little brother had walked up to Lan Fan to ask her if she wanted to marry him as soon as he was a little bit older. Afterwards, Ling had taken him outside to explain him really kindly that he should find a nice girl in his own age and that Cai should stop to ask Lan Fan to marry him because she was Ling's future wife. (Her own opinion had never really mattered in this discussion and none of the princes had ever cared about it because it had been the only true rivalry they ever had. Fu had scolded both of them and Lan Fan had started to wear her mask afterwards whenever she left the little house she shared with her grandfather.)

He was enjoying his memories as Lan Fan finally awoke and he left his bed to give her a kiss. She glared at him. "The doctors said that you shouldn't move that much," she said.

"They have no idea what they are talking about," he grinned.

"I am pretty sure that they studied," she sighed.

* * *

Izumi's feet left nearly no sound as she crossed over the graveyard until she reached her destination: the grave of Serena Hawkeye Hamilton. The housewife had never met the younger female alchemist but everyone who had known her had told her that Serena had been probably the calmest out of her sisters. Izumi looked at the little photo on the gravestone that showed her Serena in her happiest days. She was wearing the standard uniform of the Briggs' Bears and who looked close enough could make out a hint of silver on her shoulder: Buccaneer's automail.

Izumi sighed deeply as she sat down in front of the grave. "You know, Miss Hamilton," she started with a hint of hesitation, "I never met you … even if we had met, I am sure that I would have judged you without knowing you properly. I am sorry that I am that stubborn … and that I still can't believe that so many great alchemist I know sold their souls to the state." She raised her hands and opened a little hole in the gravestone before she put the ring into the hole. "He really loved you," the housewife said with a little smile. "The soldiers told me that you were his last thought. I am sure that you will be together again by now. Tell him that rumour says that Major General Armstrong cried over his death."

* * *

The evening softly fell about Central City as Ling and Lan Fan finally left the hospital. The young prince had wrapped his arm around the girl and led her towards the restaurant. He knew that she had missed her older sister and he had to ask Jun Li some questions about the power of the emperor and since she had worked for his grandfather, she was probably the person who knew the most about the rules even the emperor had to play by.

"What are you planning?" Lan Fan asked as they entered the restaurant.

"I believe it's time that you meet the infamous owner of the Golden Dragon," he grinned.

The waitress who looked a little bit tired since her restaurant had been touched by the fights in the capital and she had rebuild everything turned around as she felt their familiar chi. Her black hair reminded of a veil as she crossed to her little sister to hug Lan Fan tightly. "In Dragon's name!" she exclaimed as her hands cupped her sister's face. "You honestly grew up, Lan-Lan!"

The younger sister looked down. "It has been a while, Jun Li," she whispered.

"Time was nice with you," Jun Lin smiled. "You look wonderful, my darling. I am pretty sure that I will have to visit Xing soon to attend your wedding." She grabbed Lan Fan's automail-arm and beamed at it. "I love these things, little sister," she said. "They are totally awesome and I always told myself that I would get one should I ever lose a limb."

* * *

"You are a goddamn fool."

Jade turned around as fast as she could with her broken ankle. "What did I do this time, Phil?" she asked tiredly as she looked at her younger brother. Funny how nothing could change that he could make her feel like a complete idiot without any effort. She was renowned for being the most intelligent state alchemist – even surpassing geniuses such as Helena Hamilton (her stomach churned as she thought of her old friend) or Edward Elric (her stomach churned again but this time for other reason). Just as she had said before, her highest priority was knowledge because this was the basis of her strength and her whole existence was focused on gaining more and more information and therefore knowledge with every passing day.

"You know what you did – or at least, you should know," Phil said darkly.

"I obviously have no clue so please, humour me," she sighed as she closed her left eye.

"Llewellyn, I am talking about him there," the male air alchemist said as he moved closer to his sister. "I know that you like to annoy me, Jadelina, but someone with your bad luck when it comes to dating should consider if it's not a little bit suspicious that it works this time."

"For me, it works just fine, Philippe," she replied as she crossed her arms and narrowed her dark eyes. "You are forgetting that I do many strange things, Phil. I know what I am doing."

"You heard the rumours, didn't you? What … what if they are true?"

_'They are,'_ she thought while her face showed no emotion. She had learned to suppress the urge to be open with her thoughts and emotions during her time as Bradley's knife and no matter how much she hated what she had done, she was happy that Phil couldn't read her eyes. Still, he expected an answer and she would give him one. "I am too smart to care for rumours," she said with a faint hiss. "People want me to believe these lies after all, right?"

"You are such a bad liar, Jade," he said before he turned to leave.

"At least I lie instead of staying silent for a whole decade," she snapped before the painkiller kicked in and knocked her out. She was used to broken bones and usually, she would have refused the painkillers because she hardly needed them anyway but she had decided to be a good little girl for once … and sleep would be nice after weeks of unhappiness. Lynn was avenged, finally, but somewhere in the back of her mind stayed the nagging thought that it hadn't been everything and that she would take more broken bones to get behind it all.


	35. New moves

**New moves**

* * *

Lan Fan sat in front of her older, more perfect sister and was surprised by the understanding Jun Li held for the whole situation. Some tears were shed for Fu's death but all in all, Jun Li proved to be the probably most mature and efficient guard a Xingese Emperor had ever had. Lan Fan couldn't help but envy her sister's perfect, unmarred pale skin which seemed to be smooth as ever or Jun Li's body that was curvy enough to lure many men into believing that she meant no harm because it seemed to be nearly impossible that she was still as agile as before.

"…you became really beautiful," Jun Li said as her hands continued to cup her sister's face. "I mean … you look way better than I will ever look, Lan-Lan. Xing can be happy that you will go back … and our dearest young lord too…" She wistfully looked at Ling who ate another bowl of rice before she buried her own face in her hands. "I have missed the both of you," she admitted.

Ling looked up for a second while he frowned. "Have you any idea where grandfather Yao hid his key to the treasures of our clan?" he asked. "As far as I remember, we possess a nice necklace which I always wanted to give someone really dear to me…"

Jun Li looked at him, slightly confused. "The key to the chamber?" she asked as she tilted her head. "Honestly, that man had issues! He had it always at his side … and I had a copy…"

The young prince frowned. "You were hardly allowed to keep a key to the chamber," he stated.

She glared at him. "In case you didn't notice, young master, the Golden Dragon was hardly a man who played a game by the rules when he could make his own," she said. "And since I was his most trusted servant all those years, he gave me a key to thank me for my services."

"Do you miss him?" Ling asked. He knew how loyal the young woman had been to his grandfather, all those years she had never left his side. She had read books to him. She had been his shadow whenever he had decided to leave the Imperial Court to visit another castle. She had been closer to him than any of his children or grandchildren.

Jun Li's hand froze as she looked up. "He … he will always be with me," she whispered. She knew that she was about to become a liar but she had made a promise, many years ago. Her eyes were trained on the stars above her. "It's night now," she muttered, "and sometimes I liked to pretend that the spirit of life … well that he is still there, watching over his country. And the voice I can sometimes hear at night … when I am afraid of the darkness like the child I never was allowed to be … the voice that answers me whatever I ask … I like to imagine that it is him, fulfilling his duty to his people." She smiled wistfully. "Because … after all … there is no mountain too great when you listen to a wise man's words and have a little faith.  
Our great emperor, the best we had so far … he lives in you, Ling, as much as he lives in me. He watches over everything we see when we cross our beautiful country. When I remember looking into the clear springs in our mountains … when I stared into the water, I also stared into the truth." Jun Li's smile was peaceful. "And in your reflection, I can see him, Ling. He really lives in you. The Yao-blood makes you one."

Ling smiled at the smart woman. He had always liked her even though she had shattered his heart when he had been a kid. She was a worthy rival and he somehow wished that he could make her coming back to Xing to cause havoc and confusing among the members of the Council. He could remember that his grandfather had used this trick more than once and since this had been the only council Ling had ever attend, he could still remember Jun Li in her tight, black dress with the golden dragon on her chest among the old men who had stared at her in lust.

Jun Li chuckled as she took a bite of her bread. "How is your baby brother?" she asked.

Ling sighed deeply. "Obsessed as always with his studies and everything," he said. "I really wonder how this serious little boy can be my little brother … but I love him."

The former guardian nodded slowly. "He was always a nice boy," she said before she tensed and got up. She walked over to the old man in the corner who was reading and sat down next to him. Ling whose eyes had followed her was surprised as she lowered her head in some strange kind of bow. It was crazy. This was Jun Li, the one who had never bowed for anyone but her old master, the one she had followed through hell and further. This was the woman who had been called bold for years. This was the woman who had always felt superior to everyone. And now she served for an old man? Alright, his grandfather had been old when she had served him but this had been her duty and she had been proud of it. And now she had focused her devotion and her loyalty to another old man? That wasn't something Jun Li would do. She would feel like betraying her dead master … and still, she seemed to be years younger again and full of pride for the honour was rare and she had always been an ambitious little girl with more dreams with real friends or real happiness.

But still, the old man looked familiar with his short silver hair and his wide smile. Of course, it was Lan Fan who got it first. She gasped and nearly kneeled down as her sister's hiss stopped her. The old man got up with Jun Li supporting him a little bit, more out of duty than out of need, and walked over to them.

"My favourite grandson finally found me," he chuckled as he sat down.

Lan Fan looked like she was close to fainting. The old emperor who should be more than six feet under by now was sitting on the same table she sat and looked at her boyfriend like he had expected them to come to the restaurant. The young bodyguard glared at her older sister. The emperor who noticed that smiled gently before he patted Jun Li's hand. "No need to be upset, Lan Fan," he said calmly. "I am no ghost. I am pretty much alive … even though I had no nerve to be emperor any longer and left for this beautiful country…"

The former emperor, Jun Yao, had always been too nice for his job. He still wondered how he had ever made it to the throne in first place but he remembered that his little sister from the Ming-clan had helped him. They had been smart and had stayed out of all the murder among their siblings, waiting for the best chance to strike. She had refused to become empress because she had fallen for a low-born man and she had turned in her privileges as a princess to marry him and to find her own happiness.  
Oh, perfect little Lan Li.  
She had been too fragile in the end and a guard from one of the clans they had fought personally had stabbed her one day, shortly after her son's birth. Jun Yao had been upset upon hearing that she had passed away but he had kept his promise to keep her true identity a secret. Of course, her son had followed his father's way and had been murdered shortly after his little daughter's birth but Jun Yao had been able to get her eldest granddaughter out of the whole mess. Yes, the girl had inherited Mei Fan's pale eyes and her stubborn attitude but Jun Yao had been happy to know someone he could really trust.

* * *

Roy awake to the scent of Laila's hair and he slowly realised that he had fallen asleep on the couch as well. He sighed deeply as he realised that she was trembling. He knew this problem by now: she was having a nightmare even though she didn't scream this time. He gently shook her awake and waited until she came down a little bit. "Pssch…" he muttered. "It's not real…"

She clung to him like another child would cling to a favourite blanket and pressed her head against his shoulder. "Thanks for being here, daddy," she muttered, still half asleep.

Roy felt how he tensed up but at the same time, he started to smile a little bit. She was still a little child and he highly doubted that she was aware of what she was saying right now. He gently stroked her hair before she awoke completely and returned to her usual, energetic self. "So, what are we doing now?" she asked while her fingers drummed rhythms on the cushion of the couch.

"Well, I was planning something for weeks now and since I am a little bit incapacitated right now, it would be great if you could help me a little bit," he said. "As you may have heard, your uncle and his mother want to throw a party sometimes next week and … well … I thought about proposing to Riza during this event. The problem is that I have no ring yet and that I wanted to ask Bendix first if I have the permission to use one room of his mansion…"

She squealed in pure glee and clapped her hands. "That's a wonderful idea!" she said. "I will help you; of course I will help you! Alright, I will make sure that Ben allows you to use the green salon – it's the prettiest room in the whole house because … well … everything is green." She jumped up to walk around in the living room. "And you will need beautiful flowers … I believe mommy likes fire lilies the most…" she looked back at him and chuckled. "It makes sense somehow," she added with an afterthought. "And … of course … you will have to ask great-grandfather."

Roy had always thought that there was no one as obsessed with the plotting of a perfect proposal as Jade – but he had to see that Laila Hawkeye was nothing better than his cousin.

* * *

The next day, Fuhrer Leroy Grumman was working in his office as his actual aide walked in to tell him that the newly-promoted major general Roy Mustang had come to talk with him. Leroy was actually very surprised when the blind man entered the room. The surprise was that he was led by Laila who looked really serious and her strict gaze reminded Leroy a little bit of his wife's glare when she wanted him to be nice. Sometimes it was nearly insane how much Laila looked like the young Charlotte since they weren't blood-related.

"Good morning, great-grandfather," Laila said politely as she let go of Roy's hand. "I'll wait for you outside," she added before she patted the man's upper arm, smiled a last time and left.

Leroy waited until the door was closed behind her and looked at Roy . "Well, what can I do for you, Mustang?" he asked amused.

The black-haired man bit his lower lip. "I wanted to ask for your granddaughter's hand in marriage," he said as calmly as he could. The good thing in being blind was that his eyes couldn't betray him any longer.

Leroy smirked. It had been a while since a man had been bold enough to ask him for permission to marry someone, but he still knew his old lines. "And why do you want do marry her?" he asked with a little frown.

Roy smiled lightly. "Because I love her," he said, "and because I am pretty sure that she loves me too … and because I hope that I can make her happy one day."

The old man nodded shortly before he remembered that Roy couldn't see him. "I am not sure if you are aware of my relationship with my wife," he said suddenly. "I have known Charlotte for many, many years. When I finally asked her, it was a question of to be or not to be for me for I knew that I would never feel complete without her. She was an angel and said yes when I asked her and from that moment on, it was always all or nothing. Both of us are daring … sometimes a little bit too much. It's hard to control another human being with such a similar attitude … but I never wanted to control her. We were young and sometimes it was hard, I won't deny that. But all those years … I don't care that we argued sometimes because we always made up." He looked at the young man. "The thing is that I want that my granddaughter finds the same amount of happiness I found when I married Charlotte."

Roy smiled. "I am always up for a challenge," he said.

"I really hope so," Leroy muttered darkly. "And believe me, if she won't be happy, I will tell Olivier that she can kill you if she wants to."

"Well, I hope that I can avoid that," he shrugged.

"Me too." The Fuhrer chuckled. "I would hate to tell my son why his precious twin is in trouble. I can imagine that Ben wouldn't like it at all."

* * *

"How is Miss Mustang?"

Olivier's voice was sharp and Bendix hesitated for a moment before he looked up from the report he had been reading and looked at her. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice, Liv?" he smirked as he leaned back. "Don't worry, Liv. You know the facts, don't you?"

"You are currently dating her and for the first time, you are actually serious about someone. Charlotte would be celebrating and planning your wedding right now if she wasn't so busy with bullying Riza into marrying the ex-colonel…"

"Liv…" he frowned. "I do not like the way you are acting right now. I mean … you used to be happy for me, didn't you? Weren't you saying that it's good that I finally got a decent girlfriend? One that isn't dating me for my looks or my money … one everyone would approve of?"

"See, Ben, it's not that easy for me right now. I mean … you got hurt because of her, didn't you? I am not jealous or something but … Breeze Soul is a broken woman. I am not sure if it would be healthy for you to date her for a long time. I approve of her just as everyone else … but I am worried that she might drag you down. I heard from many people that she's depressed…"

"Unlike you, she lost someone in this whole homunculi-business," he said softly. "She lost her best friend … do you remember Helena Hamilton? Tall, silver-haired, purple eyes … pretty much the most remarkable woman West City saw after you left us in the dust to go to Briggs…"

"How could I forget her? She always hung out in the Military Hospital with her black-haired friend when she wasn't in duty. I still wonder when she ever slept…"

"That black-haired friend was Jade," Bendix said as he sighed deeply. "I trust you to keep the information confidential but Jade and Lynn have been working together since the day they met – during their state alchemist exam. It was that mad year four people passed at once."

"I remember," she nodded as she frowned slightly. "The Hamilton- and the Mustang-twins … this was partially the reason why so many people will remember this, right? Silver Star, Mermaid, Breeze Soul and Breeze Heart … I even attended the exam as a proctor…"

"Yes," he said as he looked out his window. "It was basically against the rules but you know how it was: West City hosted the exam and this meant that my mother was holding the reigns at the time. And Bradley was overjoyed to have more state alchemists…"

"So, the reason why you put up with Jade's antic is that she lost her best friend?"

"If you keep your eyes open, you would see a beautifully constructed play – every day the Mustang-twins appear somewhere together. They always were the perfection of loyalty to your sibling and for fighting for the same dream, right? Well, Phil has been treating her harsh and rude at times … and I fear that this might have started a very long time ago."

"They are better at putting up this façade than Bradley and his cronies," Olivier muttered as she frowned. "Anyway, who am I to stop you? You are old enough to decide…"

"I am still sorry for worrying you, princess," he muttered quietly.

"I know…" she said as she walked away. "Yet maybe, you were right with your first guess…"

* * *

**AN:** _Welcome to the first and last Author's Note of this story. I hope that everyone who read this story enjoyed it so far. Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter – it's simply the end of the first arc. In the next arc 'Love Madness', we will meet new characters and stories will be told. Of course, there will be more characters of the children's age as well because they will make new friends._

_We will see how our heroes went on after the Promised Day passed. We will understand the reason behind Phil's weird behaviour when it comes to his sister and we will learn more about the relationships between the other characters as well. Victoria and Nick will play a bigger role as well and Elicia will appear more frequently as well. Together, they will replace the old crew (Roy, Riza, Lynn, Martin, Kay, Charles, Serena and Maes) and they will have an own adventure._

_I would love to hear how you liked the story so far and for those who are re-reading it, I would like to know if it makes more sense now and how you liked the scene between Phil and Jade on the graveyard in chapter 30. I would also love to hear if you liked the way I portrayed the cannon characters and what you think about the OCs._

_I wish everyone a wonderful week,  
Ava  
PS: I also accept short reviews of maybe three words_


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